


Demons and Darkness

by sciencefictioness



Series: Demons [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: 3DMG, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Demons, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Biting, Blood, Bottom Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), But also, Decapitation, Demon Armin, Demon Eren, Demons, Disembowelment, Dismemberment, Eren Is A Beast, Execution, Exhibitionism, Flesh eating, Flying Sex, Frottage, Gore, Grinding, Jealousy, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Marking, Masturbation, Mates, Mating Rituals, Oral Sex, People Burned Alive, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Eren Yeager, Rituals, Romance, Rutting, Scent Marking, Sexual Tension, Showers, Smut, Snark, Snarky Levi, Switching, Tail Jobs, Tail Sex, Teasing, That Ass At Last, Took You Long Enough Eren, Torture, Unrequited Love, Violence, Wings, Yôkai, demon mikasa
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-28
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-20 00:43:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 36
Words: 112,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3630276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sciencefictioness/pseuds/sciencefictioness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi is a scout, and protects his village day and night from feral yokai, demon like creatures who feast on human flesh.  When the chieftan of his village is killed by the beasts, Levi's father takes over, putting him next in line to lead his people.  All Levi wants to do is watch over Mitras with his blade, fighting along side his teacher, who he has been in love with all his life.  When he discovers that Erwin is getting married, he heads off into the woods alone to drink and slay demons, trying to forget.  He never expects to summon from the darkness a yokai of his own.</p><p>  <i>After a few minutes everything went quiet, and then his yokai was before him, magnificent, covered in splashes of red. My yokai? He wore a maniacal grin , the joy of taking a life that deserved to be taken. Levi knew that joy, had worn that expression so much he could feel the ghost of it on his face. Then, the yokai spoke.</i><br/>  <i>"You were so damn slow, I thought I'd never meet you." Levi felt his mouth gape open. Yokai couldn't speak. They were like animals, beasts without souls.</i></p><p>  <i>"Who are you? What are you?" That smile grew predatory, eyes slitting deviously.</i><br/> <br/>  <i>"I'm Eren, and I'm yours." </i></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Summoned

Levi staggered through the dark forest, legitimately drunk now as he weaved through the trees. When he reached his destination, a clearing with an ancient broken altar to some dark forgotten God surrounded by crumbling overgrown stones, he upturned his bottle and sucked the last of the bitter liquid down. Upon realizing it was empty, he threw it at the largest of the rock pillars. The glass shattered with a satisfying crash, leaving a wet stain where it impacted, and the scout in the back of his mind scolded him. Outside the village walls at night, alone, drunk and noisy.... it was like asking to be eaten by yokai. His hands fingered the hilts of his swords unconsciously, a gesture born of repetition. He could unsheathe that pair of blades and kill a dozen of the monsters in his sleep. He doubted he'd need to draw his swords. Levi knew better than anyone how few there were in this area, since everyone feared this place, said it was cursed, inhabited by spirits and demons. Only Levi dared to come here. He came because he knew he would be alone, unseen by prying eyes, unheard by listening ears.

He felt something wet dripping down his cheek and reached up with his fingers, wondering when he had started crying like a lost child. When he pulled them back they were bloody and he realized some of the glass must have ricocheted back at him and sliced his face. Levi hadn't even noticed. He made his way over to the disused altar and sat down, wiping his blood on the stone. Levi saw that his shirt was stained red as well. _Fuck._ He shucked the garment, tossing it unceremoniously to the earth. _Who needs clothes, anyway._

Ever since his uncle had been killed by feral yokai on a trip to a nearby settlement, Levi's life had been spiraling downhill. He'd hated his uncle, did not mourn his loss, but now his father was the village chieftain and suddenly everything was different. Now instead of his younger cousin, he was expected to lead Mitras one day. The people of the village did not even pretend to be upset about this, elated that Levi and his father were now in charge instead his tyrant of an uncle and the sociopathic monster he'd been raising. Everyone was overjoyed. Everyone except Levi. 

He did not want to be chieftain, the weight of their tribe on his shoulders. All Levi wanted was to be a scout, protect his village from monsters, yokai and human alike. He was never happier than when he was deep in the forest, blades slicing through beastly flesh, wind in his cloak as he climbed through the trees like he'd been born in their branches. Fighting those who would cause his people harm, side by side with his master. Master Erwin. _Shit._

Levi had known Erwin all of his life, had felt the sting of his fists as he trained him, heard his swords singing in the night as they carved through their enemies together. For so long his eyes had been seeking him out in crowds of people, ears tuned for voice, nose twitching at the hint of his scent. Levi fell asleep at night with his image twisting through his mind, and woke wondering just where he was, what he was doing. What he was thinking. Afraid that his master would realize the immensity of Levi's feelings for him. Then more afraid that he wouldn't. The scout had spent so much time making sure that he would never find out that he never stopped to ask himself if he really wanted to hide it. He'd let something precious to him slip through his fingers.

 _Erwin is getting married._ To fucking _Petra,_ of all people. Levi could not even hate her for it. His fellow scout, who he respected, who had saved his and Erwin's life just as they had saved hers, time and time again. It was no wonder he fell for her, someone strong and fierce and brave who was also soft and sweet. Levi put his face in his hands, feeling his world spinning in a way that's had nothing to do with the alcohol coursing through his bloodstream. For as long as Levi could remember, he had been in total control of himself, of his life. His fighting was top notch, the execution of his patrols and raids flawless. Levi's world was clean and regimented, every aspect of his life ordered, everything tucked in where it belonged. Especially his emotions. Folded up and hidden away deep inside where they belonged. Where they could not ruin anything, or chase Erwin away with their intensity. He kept himself under such a tight leash to keep his shit together, when he desperately wanted to fall apart. Levi's eyes stung, but he refused to let any tears fall.

Now his father was talking about marriage, and how he needed to strengthen Mitras relations with several nearby villages. How he should choose his wife from one of their chieftan's daughters and produce an heir quickly. He'd told him, and not for the first time, just how fucking impossible that was. _"The impossible is what you do best. Look at it like a battle you need to fight, if that's what you need to do. Be victorious in this. It will protect your people in a way that your blades and strength alone cannot."_ Levi wished his old man would've at least hit him, or railed at him when he told him he didn't want a woman, but a man. Then maybe he could've been a little more angry at the bastard. But no, he'd just looked like his heart was breaking for Levi, face full of sympathy.

Levi wanted to beat that pity out of him with his fists.

Levi was tired of order, and control, and perfection. Right now, he wanted utter chaos. Total destruction. Levi wanted to watch the forest burn down around him, fire born of a torch he himself had lit in the darkness. His life was nothing but duty and suffering. Levi wanted a new one. 

He jumped to his feet and turned around, eyes full of questions as he gazed at this once sacred place. A god left behind by people who thought he had forgotten them. He must have. This place was full of flesh eating monsters with horns and claws and fangs, thirsting for the flesh and blood of mankind. Not because they needed it to live, but because they lived to devour. Those who had abandoned this place were right. No god worth worshipping would leave their children to this fate. Levi drew his swords, wanting to lash out at something, to break, to rend. In the end, he just buried them in the soft earth, holding himself up with the blades as bent at the waist and screamed.

He screamed until he thought his throat would bleed, until every yokai for miles around would be cocking their heads in the night, feet carrying them towards the scout waiting in darkness. Levi wanted them to come. Right now, he needed to take somethings life, feel it bleed out under his steel.

Then the earth began to shake beneath his feet, and the altar he had just been sitting on began to crack, the stone pillars all around him quaking. Something was glowing on the stone before him, a purple-black light, and it took a moment before Levi realized it was his blood. The liquid began to smoke, just little at first before growing larger and larger. Soon there was a tower of dark fog, roiling in circles. The scream of a yokai echoed in the distance, chilling and inevitable. Levi heard a voice in his head, and though he'd never heard it before it was familiar, an echo creeping out of his dreams to spin through the void of the night.

_I thought you'd never come._

Light flashed, and the smoke before him vanished like it had never been there at all. In it's wake a figure stood naked. A boy, muscled and pale with dark hair and fierce green eyes that glowed with ethereal light. _Not a boy._ Horns curled up from his temples, black and shining in the moonlight. A long, sleek tail twisted around from behind him, swishing and swaying. He was a yokai, had to be. His bretheren screeched in the night, drawing closer. The scout could hear them now, flying through the trees and brush towards their meal. Levi readied his swords, prepared to cleave this beasts head from his body. Then the yokai locked gazes with him, and Levi could not move. Could not breathe. Those eyes knew things Levi could not dream of, read all of the secrets he kept deep inside. This demon saw all there was of Levi, past and future, swallowed up in that dark stare. His head tilted, curious, smile playing across his lips. Levi's gaze drifted down over toned flesh and strong arms, black hair messy around those sharp horns. His tail curved up to wrap around one of his wrists absently, and Levi felt envious. He wanted to wrap himself around this beast, too.

_What the fuck?_

Levi shook himself, lowering himself into a fighting stance and waiting for the yokai to attack. He was so preoccupied with the one before him he had forgotten those he summoned with his scream until one let out a hiss. It was right behind him, too close, and Levi thought that it was a shame he was going to die here, weak and helpless in front of this magnificent creature. The yokai's face twisted in fury before he leapt, up and over the scout. Levi heard a wet sound and turned to see the demon in front of him tossing another yokai's head into the trees. The beasts could be human, if it weren't for their horns and claws and vicious teeth, hungry for human flesh and the taste of suffering. The beautiful yokai moved in closer to Levi, and the scout was frozen in shock as he stepped in between him and the advancing beasts. Three more appeared, and before Levi could blink they were falling, blood streaming from their necks, heads rolling across the ground towards him. One landed against Levi's foot, and he kicked it away, cringing as he felt the mouth moving against his toes . There was movement in the trees, and Levi was afraid. There were too many of them. He had been foolish, and stupid, and now he would die here, never see his father or master ever again.

The naked yokai was a shadow in the night, moving too fast for Levi to see, and everywhere that shadow paused carnage followed. Blood and beastly moans filled the air, a blur of death in the wind. After a few minutes everything went quiet, and then his yokai was before him, magnificent, covered in splashes of red. _My yokai?_ He wore a maniacal grin , the joy of taking a life that deserved to be taken. Levi knew that joy, had worn that expression so much he could feel the ghost of it on his face. Then, the yokai _spoke._

"You were so damn slow, I thought I'd never meet you." Levi felt his mouth gape open. Yokai couldn't speak. They were like animals, beasts without souls.

"Who are you? What are you?" That smile grew predatory, eyes slitting deviously.

"I'm Eren, and I'm yours."


	2. Bound

_"I'm Eren, and I'm yours."_

Levi hated the way his heartbeat quickened at those words, at that voice, far too deep and alluring for the creature before him. If he were a human, he'd barely be old enough to scout and damn it all if Levi didn't feel downright predatory looking at him.

"The fuck you are. What do I want with some filthy yokai?"

"Other than this blood, I'm relatively clean. If that's important." _It was._ Levi ignored himself. A monster called forth from smoke and night, kills two dozen yokai without breaking a sweat ... and is a fucking smartass.

"You're a monster. Just because you can talk doesn't mean I won't kill you." 

Even as Levi's hands tightened around his blades, the words tasted like blasphemy on his tongue. Eren just smiles, eyes climbing up and down the scout, drinking in the sight with a face full of greed. 

"As you wish, Master." 

He calls Levi master and goes down to his knees before him, somehow making Levi feel small and weak in the process, a boy holding a man's sword. Playing in a grown ups armor, shoes too big for his feet, cloak falling off like a blanket tied around a child's shoulders. The yokai was silent, but he took in Levi, blades ready, and his face seemed to say, _how adorable._ Eren tilted his head to the side, an invitation, and gazed up at Levi with an unfathomable expression. No one should look that sexy exposing their neck for Levi's steel, especially not this boy yokai with his horns glinting and his tail curled around his legs, pupils slitted and feline and seeing far too much. Daring Levi to strike.

The scout stood there, wide eyed, trying to figure out just why his thoughts were roiling in his head. He sheathed one of his swords, stepping forward to lay the other against Eren's neck. The yokai leaned into it, smile full of sharp teeth. Levi put some pressure on it, watching as the metal bit the Eren's flesh. Fear rises up in him sharp and suffocating, like it is he and not Eren with weapon up against his throat. When a drop blood slid from the shallow cut, Levi had the absurd urge to pull out his field kit and clean it and bandage it. To brush the hair out of those cat like eyes and say he was sorry. _"Get your shit together, boy!"_ Levi could hear Erwin's voice in his head like he was next to him, scolding him when he wasn't paying enough attention to the fight. Not knowing that Levi was watching him instead. For the first time ever when Erwin came into his head, there was no ache in his chest, and later on Levi would wonder how that was possible, would mourn it's loss.

"I thought you were going to kill me." Eren's face as he spoke said that he had thought nothing of the sort. Levi gritted his teeth, eyes wrenching shut even as he screamed inside. _"Can't kill yokai with your eyes closed, scout."_ Why couldn't he do it? Just a swing of his blade. Levi forced his lids back open, trying to figure out why his breathing was coming in gasps. Why his knees felt weak. Why his hands were shaking. Those green orbs peered up at him, eating him alive, claiming him, and pinned under that stare, his chest grew tight. Levi tasted blood in his mouth, only then realizing he was biting his lip. _Kill him. Take his fucking head._ He'd struck down of thousands of yokai, this one was no different. He wasn't. 

_He wasn't._

Levi shook his head and pulled back his sword, cleaning the blade before he sheathed it with a curse. Eren looked pleased with himself as he got back to his feet and stepped in closer to Levi, hands itching to reach out and touch him. He held himself back. 

"Got you speechless already, little mate?" _Little? Oh, fuck this guy. Maybe Levi could kill him after all._

"Fuck you, and your stupid fucking horns and-" The scout was so furious at being called little that it took a moment for the rest to sink in. He blinked in surprise, thinking that he was way too drunk for this bullshit. "And you've got to be joking, did you just say _mate?_ " Levi was losing it, little by little. On top of the rest of his fucked up existence, this was too much. _You're talking to a yokai. Why don't you go back home and ask the goddamned goats what they think next, see what they say._

"You're the one who summoned me. You should know." Levi had never had someone examine him so closely without even touching him. Hange had nothing on this guy. Eren picked him apart, split him open, pulled his insides out. All without laying a hand on him. _Shitty four-eyes could learn from this one._

"I didn't summon shit." The yokai got that look again, patronizing and infuriating.

"Of course you did. Wine offering to the gods, blood on the altar, weapon in the earth. The cry of a warrior and the desperate yearning for your destined one. You can't tell me it was by accident. I've been sleeping in the nightlands for centuries, waiting to hear you call me to your side. Couldn't you have been born sooner? It feels like I've been alone for an eternity. Empty and unfinished." 

Those words echoed down inside Levi, and he could not repress the shiver that rolled through him. _Alone for an eternity. Empty and unfinished._ He tried to fight the thought before it crept through his mind. _Just like me._ Levi took in the broken glass of the wine bottle he'd thrown against the rocks, absently running his fingers through the blood on his face. His feet toed through the divots in the earth where he'd buried his sword, and Eren must have seen the confusion written on his face, because he laughed.

He _laughed,_ and Levi could get lost in the sound like he got lost nowhere else. Not in the woods or in his thoughts, not in a fight or in his duties. Levi was never lost, and with that throaty sound echoing around him, he never wanted to be found. _Fuck, you're gonna get yourself killed out here. He's gonna rip off your head and eat you and no one will ever even find your bones. Some scout will stumble over your cloak in a few decades, blood pink in it from years of sun._ The yokai was _still_ laughing, shaking with it, when he began to speak around it.

"Oh, gods, you did it by accident. That's.... that's wonderful. My fated one, stumbling drunk in the forest, calling me out through the mists. Although I must admit, I wasn't expecting someone quite so...." Levi held his breath, and hated himself for it. "Small." Levi thought his teeth would crack as his jaw clenched. He hated this stupid, perfect, beautiful, cocky bastard yokai. Eren continued on, oblivious to Levi's fury. "And surly. Was kind of expecting a woman, as well. But I was wrong. You're perfect. Fierce and...." He canted his head again, canine and thoughtful. "Complicated. Deliciously so." 

He ran his tongue over those sharp teeth, and fuck Levi was not doing this. He was not standing here, heat rushing through him, getting hard as stone under they gaze of a fucking yokai. He fisted his hands at his side to keep them from... from doing what? From rearranging himself in his pants, from tugging at his hair.... from pulling Eren closer and taking his mouth with a groan. _Say something. Say anything. Shit, Levi._

"If you've been waiting on me, you're going to be sorely disappointed."

"I think not."

"You can think? I'm impressed." Eren smirked, stepping in closer again. Too close. Levi could _feel_ him standing there.

"I can even do tricks. But first you have to train me." If there was anything Levi hated, it was being fucked with, and this boy demon was most definitely fucking with him. The scout made a dismissive gesture at Eren.

"Get the fuck out of here before I chop that goddamned smirk off your face."

"I can't do that. You're my mate, I waited for you for too long."

"Then you're an idiot."

"I've been called worse."

"I'm no one's mate, least of all a demons."

"Lady Izanami does not make mistakes."

Dizziness, drunkeness, and exhaustion began to overwhelm Levi, and he wobbled on his feet. The adrenaline from earlier was long gone, and he realized with absently that there was no way he was going to make it back inside the walls in his state. He had come out here wretched with emotion, ripped up inside over his master getting married and his unwelcome new obligations to his people. It seemed a thousand years ago, miles away, another lifetime. Insignificant in the face of this being before him, beautiful and impossible and saying Levi was his. If he did not sit down soon, he would fall down. He moved over towards the altar. Eren grabbed his hand, and it was electric and hot, arcing through him like fire. Laid over his skin like sunshine. Slowly, Levi looked at his hand, then at Eren's face. He did not know what expression he wore, but whatever it was, the yokai liked it.

"Before you sleep, I must bind us." Levi didn't know what he meant, the fog of sleep climbing over him, but felt he should argue anyway.

"The fuck you must." 

Eren ran his fingers across the cut on Levi's face, then through the one on his own neck. He rubbed his fingers together, mingling their blood, before shoving them into Levi's mouth. The scout jerked back, gagging at the thought of _yokai blood_ in his mouth, and God why did it _taste_ so good, and-

Eren pulled Levi against him, and the scout felt that tail wrap around his back as the yokai took his mouth. His tongue delved between Levi's lips, tasting of blood and heat and home. Levi did not even realize it, but he was kissing Eren back, his arms going up around his neck, mouths slanting together. He heard a moan, felt it coming from his throat, a betrayal. This was his first kiss, and he was in the woods with a yokai, arms wrapped around him and whimpering into his mouth, and Levi did not care. In that moment he wanted to climb inside this demon through his mouth, curl up in his bones, live inside his flesh. There was nothing and nowhere and no one but this and here and him. Eren pulled back and the scout leaned forward, chasing after those lips instinctively. The yokai brushed dark strands from Levi's face, and his sharp smile lit up the night. He picked Levi up and lay him on the altar, resting his head in his lap. It was dirty, and he didn't have a shirt, and there was blood on his face and he did not give a single shit. Levi felt that tail tighten around him, felt those hands running through his hair. The scout looked up into green eyes that looked down at him like he was all there was in this world.

"Sleep now, little mate." Levi's eyes were already closing, and when he spoke it was a slurred mumble.

"Fuck you. I'm not little."

Then he was gone, lost in his dreams, and his yokai could not stop smiling. The stars were brilliant in the sky, the night a masterpiece around them, and after centuries trapped in darkness, Eren could not tear his eyes up to look at it. _Thank you, Izanami. You were right. It was worth waiting._


	3. Ally

Eren watched his scout sleep, enraptured by the rising and falling off his chest as he breathed, deep and even. The demon threaded his hands through thick black hair, brushing it away from his forehead to trace his fingers over Levi's cheeks, his eyes, his lips. He wondered what had driven his little mate out here, drunk and full of sorrow, so far from the walls that kept his people safe. Eren was grateful, whatever it was. The yokai had been forced to ease Levi's head out of his lap to dispatch a few of his darker brethren who had been drawn by the scouts shouting. He folded Levi's cloak up under his head, pillowing it against the rough stone so he would be more comfortable. After taking the heads of the beasts who would dare come so close to his Levi, he closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of the night to see if there were any more. When all he heard were insects and animals and wind, he pressed a soft kiss to the scouts forehead before making his way to the river that gurgled in the distance. His master smelled like wine, a little sweaty from walking all the way out to the summoning stones, but other than that he smelled clean and fresh. Eren did not want to face him when he woke again covered in the dried blood of their enemies. The yokai rinsed himself off in the river, closing his eyes as he felt it rush around him, letting his tail flow with the current, swishing back and forth under the surface. When he had cleaned himself as best he could in those cool waters, he made his way back to Levi and pulled him into his lap, leaning back against one of the stones. Eren took his deep green cloak and spread it out over the scout like a blanket, tucking the edges in against the chill that was settling in around them. The simplest things were a gift after being in darkness so long. The wind, the river, the very air he breathed was full of life. The moon overhead shone down to bathe the earth in pearlescent light, stars spread out over the forest. 

It was all pale and colorless in comparison to Levi. Eren knew his name without being told, though he would be sure to ask before he used it in front of the scout. Eren wasn't sure how he knew, but the second the yokai had taken form on the altar, called out by blood and wine, the name whispered through his mind like an incantation. _Levi._ His tail clung to the boy without conscious thought, instinctively holding tight to his mate. Eren's hands had not felt the touch of another's skin for centuries, and they were hungry for it, moving in slow circles across his back, gently caressing his face, his neck, edging underneath his cloak to run over those muscled arms. If Levi had not been drunk and exhausted from the summoning, he would've woken up under Eren's attentions. It took a lot out of a human, physically, to summon forth a demon. Eren's hand went up to the key hanging from his neck, the only thing he had on, as he leaned down and breathed in Levi's scent. It was smooth, and bright, and if his smell had a color it would be white. He could breathe that sweet essence for the rest of his life and still not be satisfied. The earth could dry up into a shriveled husk, the sun exploding into the void, galaxies full of stars aging to nothingness, all the universe dead and cold and it would _still_ not be enough time to hold him close and take him in.

The yokai wondered if there would be someone out looking for him when he did not return to the safety of his village soon. He was torn. Eren did not want others to intrude upon them, would love to sit alone with Levi forever, surrounded by the forest. He did not want to share the scout with others, even if they were his bretheren, his family, his people. Eren wanted this boy all to himself. On the other hand, he hoped that Levi had friends who cared enough about him to grow worried, to come searching for him. He needed to know that all this time he had been unable to protect his mate, someone had been looking after him, making sure he stayed safe and whole. If such a person existed, Eren owed them everything. One day, he would thank them.

It was a long time until sunrise, and Eren could not wait to see the light of dawn play out over Levi's face.

His mate would put those rays to shame.

 

..............................................................................

 

Levi could feel his heartbeat pounding in his head, a dull throbbing that vibrated down his spine and into his stomach. His eyes fluttered open, only to blinded by unmerciful sunlight. Shit, where had he fallen asleep that they had just left him there? At least one of the fucking scouts should've had the decency to get him to a bed, even if it was not his own. As many times as he had carried them to their bunks, drunk and stumbling and useless, they owed him that much. Someone was going to get their ass chewed out, and be cleaning the barracks all day until they shined as bright as this godforsaken sun in Levi's face. Suddenly the light behind his eyelids dimmed, becoming muted and bearable. His eyes cracked open again to see someone's hand shading them, blocking the rays from shining on him. Levi blinked, confused. He felt warmth wrapped around him, foreign and strange. The scout had not felt anything like this since he had sprained his ankle outside the walls fighting a horde of yokai and Erwin had carried him back to the village, running and praying. He had screamed at his scout master the entire time, telling Erwin to leave him behind so he could make it, sure that the larger scout could not move fast enough while holding him to save them both. He had refused, pulling Levi closer and telling him how stupid he was for saying such things. Levi had listened to the demons screaming behind them the whole way, and it was one of the few times he had thought that they actually might die. When they had gotten inside Wall Maria, Erwin had collapsed with the younger scout in his arms, panting and gasping, and laid his forehead against Levi's. Levi had wanted to lean forward, press his mouth to Erwin's, tell him just how much he loved him. Had been tempted to tell him as they ran, afraid he would die and his master would never know his feelings. Erwin pulled back, and for one agonizing moment Levi had been sure he was going to kiss him. Then the scout master's face twisted in fury. _"Tell me to leave you behind again, and when we get inside these walls I'll beat you within an inch of your life. How could you be such an idiot? You're like a son to me. I could never leave you to die, Levi."_ The ache he'd felt inside his chest was much worse than the one in his leg, and he wondered if dying under the teeth and claws of yokai might have been less painful. This was different, calm and soothing. There was no real pain, no knives in his heart, and he heard birds singing, felt a breeze on his skin. _Shit, where the hell am I? Someone's holding me?_

Levi looked up, and the first thing he saw was horns, black and glittering, nestled in messy dark hair above the most perfect face. _Yokai._ He threw himself to his feet, staggering sideways and almost losing his footing before righting himself. Levi grabbed blindly for his blades, to find his sheathes and belt gone from his hips. He saw them resting on the altar next to the yokai, and as he took in those slitted green eyes, everything came flooding back to him. _Eren._ Levi had summoned this demon somehow, had watched him slice through feral yokai with his bare hands like they were nothing. He said Levi was his _mate._ The yokai had _kissed_ him. Eren grabbed his belt and his swords from the stone, holding them out to Levi hilt first, head bowed slightly. He kept those slitted eyes locked on Levi.

"You seemed uncomfortable sleeping with them on. I'm sorry if it displeases you." The scout snatched it from Eren's hands, strapping it around his waist with quick, angry motions.

"You displease me. Why are you still here?"

"I watched over you while you slept. I washed the blood off of your face, and filled your canteen, and killed seven more yokai that strayed too near." Levi touched his face absently, reaching for his canteen to shake it. He took a drink, gulping the cool liquid down, dripping it out of his mouth and down his chin. He'd never been this thirsty in his entire life, and that boy yokai watched him drink water he had gathered with a satisfied look on his face. The scout closed the lid and wiped his lips.

"Great. Good for you. Now fuck off." Eren just smiled. He'd been waiting too long for a few harsh words or sharp glares to scare him away. If Levi wanted to make him work for it, wanted him to earn his affections, then Eren was more than happy to oblige. Fruit that hung high in the trees always tasted _so sweet,_ even if you had to climb for it.

"No, I think I'll stay. You're far too interesting."

"Tch! You're a bit sure of yourself, aren't you? I'm heading back to the village, and if you follow me, even if I don't kill you one of the other scouts will. You'll never make it inside the walls after me." Why was he even standing here, talking with this damned yokai anyway? Levi should already be headed back towards Mitras, away from this bizarre nightmare he'd found himself in. _Away from one nightmare and back into another one. You can't escape them, only choose which bad dream you prefer._ At least back in the village the nightmare was familiar, the cast of boogie men faces he knew, the dark shadows lurking holding no mystery. Better the devil you know. Or yokai, as it were.

"No one can see me unless we want them to. Even if I allow myself to be seen, I can control what they see. If I choose to let them know I am there, they will see only a boy and not a yokai unless I desire otherwise. So in fact it isn't that I cannot make it inside, but that you cannot stop me from doing so." Eren smirked. "Not without looking like a lunatic, anyway." Levi felt fury rise in him at this stupid, clever demon boy. Unless 'we' want. The scout made a disapproving sound through his teeth.

"Shitty little yokai." He just laughed.

"Feisty little mate."

Levi was about to unload on him when he heard a whistle, one he would recognize even in his sleep. Hange calling for him, seeking him in the forest, asking if he was in danger. Five different notes, going up and down on the scale in a pattern that he instinctively responded to without thinking. He whistled back in answer, five notes but in a different order. _I am here and all is well._ He realized he had just sounded an all clear, when in fact there was a very dangerous yokai standing not a dozen feet from him.

"Oh, fuck." Levi looked in the direction the sound had come from, heart pounding in his chest before turning toward Eren, eyes glinting dangerously. "Don't you fucking hurt Hange, or any of the scouts that might be there. I _will_ kill you if you even look at them wrong, you filthy fucking yokai bastard." Eren's eyes fell, and he looked profoundly sad. When he answered, it was in a voice Levi had not heard him use, and it said more than just the words he spoke.

"I would never hurt a human. Not unless they threatened you or someone you cared about. My kind were made to watch over mankind, not to hurt them. I am not the same as the demons you fight." His face was so damn sincere, Levi found himself believing him and hating him at the same time. He whistled again, four notes this time. _How many scouts?_ Hange's answer was brief, two short bursts. Only Hange, then, no one else, but the scout was close. Eren had picked up Levi's cloak and wrapped it around his hips to cover himself. That dark expression was still on his face when he spoke again.

"Should I conceal myself from this person?" Levi rolled his eyes as if it was obvious.

"Yes. Do it." Then, Levi hesitated. If Hange knew there was a talking yokai, such a powerful one at that, and Levi had kept the knowledge to himself? Shitty four eyes would slaughter him, brutally, and experiment on his corpse with a smile. Plus if this damned brat demon was going to follow him inside the village, invisible and fucking with Levi unceasingly? He needed an ally who knew what was happening, and there was no one he trusted more than Hange Zoe, not even Erwin. Levi truly did not believe the yokai would hurt him, or anyone else, and felt like an idiot for it. Since he was nine years old, far younger than was technically allowed, he had been outside the walls slicing through these demons. Now one was going to trail after him like a lost puppy, and fool that he was, instead of being afraid he felt safer. Someone definitely needed to know, for his own good as well as his peoples. Levi was losing his shit, and if things went wrong the people of Mitras would pay in blood. 

"Wait. Hide yourself for now, let me talk to Hange for a minute. Then I'll have you show yourself, horns and all. Zoe is my best friend. If there's anyone I can tell about this bullshit, it's this scout headed for us." The yokai's face softened, looking towards the approaching figure with a fond expression.

"You're going to introduce me to your best friend?" Fuck, Levi did not feel his heart clench at those hopeful words. He _didn't._

"Only so Hange can help me kill you if you decide you're not such a friend to mankind." Eren's green eyes shone with undisguised joy. His form seemed to waver for a moment, before solidifying again. "What the fuck, demon, you're still here." Hange was close, almost close enough to see them.

"Only you can see me right now. I promise. Trust me." Trust him? That sounded like the worst idea Levi had ever heard in his life.

"We'll fucking see about that."

"You know it seems like your talking to yourself right now."

"Oh, fuck off."

"You want me to? You can watch." Levi looked at him incredulously.

"Jesus fucking christ. Would you shut up?"

"Actually, I serve Lady Izanami. Or I did, anyway." The scout bared his teeth at Eren with a hiss.

"You. Yokai. Bastard. Stop talking."

"You're incredibly foul-mouthed." 

Levi glared daggers at him, and he lifted his hands in surrender, pressing his lips together. He did not have the decency to look sorry. The scout waited for Hange to get closer, letting out a couple more whistles to guide his friend closer. When Hange got into the clearing, the expression the scout wore was one of wry amusement, but it hid genuine concern. 

"Lost our clothes, did we?" Levi looked at Eren, and back at Hange, honestly surprised that the yokai had been telling the truth. The other scout clearly could not see the demon standing _right beside_ Levi. It was only after a few minutes that he remembered he was shirtless and without his scouting regiment cloak.

"I had an interesting night."

"I see that. I knew you'd be here, when they told me you'd disappeared from Erwin's engagement party and hadn't returned. Levi are you... are you okay?" Leave it to Hange to cut right to the chase. His friend was the only one who knew about his feelings for his scout master, and damned if he was going to discuss it in front of this idiot yokai. 

"I'm fine. Listen there's something I need to show you, and I need you to not freak out." Levi suddenly found himself worried, not about Zoe but about Eren. What if Hange tried to kill him, as Levi had at first? Levi told himself that he would not stand between them and protect the yokai. He wouldn't.

 _He wouldn't._ Hange's eyes lit up with delight.

"Oh, this sounds good. Show me, show me, show me. Is it like that deviant yokai we found that ran from us instead of attacking? I can't believe that Erwin killed it, the bastard." Levi had honestly forgotten all about that.

"Yeah, actually. A lot like that." Hange _giggled._ Fucking giggled like a school child given a piece of candy.

"Oh my God! Gimmie, Levi! Take me there, let me see!"

"Don't draw your swords." Those eyes widened, tongue tapping against a sharp canine hungrily. "I'm serious, Hange. No blades, okay?" Why did he care if Hange drew? Wouldn't it be better for everyone if the scout could just take Eren out for him, spare him the trouble? At the thought of Zoe swinging that shining steel, cleaving Eren's head from his body, Levi felt nauseated. He could not kill Eren, and he would not allow anyone else to either. Levi was fucked in the worst way.

"I promise. Stop teasing me, Levi. Show me the goods."

Levi stepped in front of Eren, pretending he did not see the happiness on the yokai's face when Levi moved to protect him from his ally.

"Okay, shitty yokai. Show yourself." Eren flashed into existence before Hange's eyes, and Levi knew when his friend saw him, because that face transformed. "Say hello, bastard." Eren greeted her with a bow, speaking in a low voice.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I thank you for watching over Levi in my stead. I am eternally in your debt, Hange Zoe." Zoe's mouth dropped open, and a loud squeal sounded out.

"Oh shit, Levi. It fucking talks." Hange tried to step around Levi with excited little steps, and the scout blocked the way. Levi did not know his eyes looked dangerous and full of unspoken threats, but they did.

"Don't touch him. Don't hurt him." His friend's eyes went wider, and that smile went on for miles.

"Levi, I'm not sure what's more interesting. This talking yokai, or that face of yours, telling me not to hurt him. What the hell happened to you out here, my friend?"

Levi did not know what had happened. He didn't want to admit it, but it felt like something good.


	4. Rivals

Levi's friend was endlessly amusing to Eren, asking question after question as they made their way back toward the village, some of them a little disturbing. Questions about his blood, his healing capabilities, his horns and his tail. Things even Eren himself would never think to ask, things he did not know how to answer. When he responded 'I don't know' to something, Hange's gaze went dark and shrouded, filled with an expression that was usually reserved for something else. Something more pleasurable than these endless inquiries. It went on and on until his little mate growled at her, telling her to shut up. 

"One more. Please, Levi." Levi rolled his eyes, maneuvering around fallen branches with a sigh.

"You're so god damned irritating."

"What's that say about you? I'm your best friend."

"It says that I'm an idiot. For fucks sake."

"When we get back to Mitras, can you make it so that Levi and I can see you, but no one else?" Eren shook his head.

"Levi can always see me, no matter what, but you will not be able to when I hide myself from the eyes of others." 

Hange made a sound of disappointment. Eren looked at his mate and through the blood they had shared the night before, spoke directly into his mind. _That's not true at all, but I don't want her to see all the things I'll be doing to you when no one is watching._ Levi staggered, and he told himself it was in shock at the yokai's voice whispering through his mind, and not thoughts of what the yokai intended to do to him, sight unseen.

"What the fuck was that?"

_I can speak to you in your mind. You can do the same to me. It's a part of the blood binding._

"Fucking hell."

_I don't think it's nice this time of year, but I'd crawl through it on my hands and knees if you asked._

"Don't do that shit. It's creepy."

_That mouth of yours is foul, but it tastes so sweet._

"Don't remind me."

"What? Levi?" Hange looked back at where Eren and Levi had stopped walking, engaged in their staring contest. Levi shook his head before he continued walking.

"Fucking yokai bastard can talk in my head." Hange squealed, jumping up and down.

"How? Why? Can you talk back? Can you make it so I can do it too? Levi? Leeeviii!"

"Christ, Hange, shut up!"

They made their way in silence, and until Levi and Hange told him they were in sight of the walls. Wall Maria was the outermost wall, made of rough gray stone, standing about fifty feet high and ten feet wide. It was not outrageously tall, but it kept out the yokai, even when they came in relatively large hordes. There were four gates in the outer walls, positioned at each of the cardinal directions. The village was not as massive as the city that stood a few hundred miles away, but it dwarfed the other settlements that were nearby. When he saw the stone wall looming before them, Eren winked out of existence for everyone but his mate. Hange's eyes darted around, grinning, knowing the demon was there but invisible. Levi scolded her, telling her to keep her shit together or she would look crazy. She reigned in her glee, barely, as they approached the small gate to be let it. Someone shouted from the top of the wall.

"Captain Levi's back! Someone get a runner to Commander Erwin!" He heard Mike's voice commanding one of the scouts.

"Jean! Don't do that. Open the gates!" The wood started to groan as it raised up from the ground, disappearing into the wall. As soon as it was high enough for them to enter, they ducked underneath, plunged into darkness as the outer gate descended. Then the inner gate started to rise, sunlight creeping under it as it creaked open. Levi, Hange, and their invisible yokai walked under the wood and it started to ease back down to the earth. Eren looked around curiously, though there was not much to be seen here. Barracks for the scouts who patrolled outside the walls on the southern side, stables for the horses, vast open grassland. All of the village's livestock was grazed out here between Wall Maria and Wall Rose, rotated from different barns situated throughout the area, but they were kept away from the gates.

"Levi, if Erwin finds out your back and I didn't send someone to tell him, he's going to literally stab me. He's pissed at you." Jean looked Levi up and down with a smirk. "Looks like you had a fun night. No shirt, no cloak, spent the night outside, you're dirty and you look like shit and you smell like the inside of a fucking wine barrel. I wish I could take a picture of this. The mighty Levi, brought down to mingle with us pitiful humans." Levi did not even spare him a glance as he walked toward the stables. Hange looked from Jean to Levi, obviously wondering where Eren was at. Levi studiously ignored the yokai, who walked so close to him that the scout could feel his movements. He normally stayed at the cathedral barracks with his scouts, but he had a room in Inner Hall where his father stayed as well. The chieftan had been trying to convince his son to stop going on patrols with the regiment and move into the Hall full time, as was custom for the heir. Levi steadfastly refused. His men stayed in the cathedral near the south gate, and that's where he would be.

"Fuck you, Jean. Go clean your barracks. Next time I come in there they better be immaculate or you're going to be cleaning up after the horses for the next two weeks." Jean groaned before returning to his post on the wall.

"You are no fun, Captain."

"I'm not supposed to be fun."

 _Captain Levi, eh?_ Levi's steps faltered for a moment at that dark voice in his mind. It rankled somehow to answer back in kind, but he couldn't be speaking out loud to an invisible goddamned yokai.

_Yes. Shut up. Don't talk to me._

_Technically, it's not talking._

Levi bared his teeth, head tilting in frustration. He refused to dignify that with a response, hating the way Hange's eyes took him in. She knew Eren was talking to Levi, or at least doing something to piss him off, and a wry grin crossed her face. Levi was _flustered,_ and unless Erwin was around, that never happened. Hange was glad that their scout master was getting married, even if it hurt Levi, because maybe now her friend would be forced to accept that nothing was ever going to come of his feelings. When Levi had stepped between her and his yokai, eyes glinting protectively, saying _don't touch him, don't hurt him,_ Hange had felt joy soar inside her. This demon would be good for Levi, even if he didn't want it to be.

When the trio walked into the barn, Levi hesitated for the barest of instances. Horses _hated_ yokai, and when you were mounted outside of the walls, you knew if you were coming up on them because your mount would let you know. Get skittish and wild, have to be reigned in. Would they be able to see Eren? Smell him? If all the animals started going crazy, it was going to be a pain in Levi's ass. He looked questioningly at the demon as they approached the stall that held his horse, Jiyuu. Levi had ridden her here last night, putting her up before he headed outside the walls. She was less twitchy than most of them but having her outside at night alone was asking for trouble. When Eren walked up to the stall next to Levi, he saw his mount look directly at the yokai, and Levi held his breath. _She can see him._ Jiyuu thrust her head into Eren, rubbing it affectionately across the yokai's chest, snorting happily. Levi gaped in shock. Jiyuu was like Levi, she fucking hated _everyone,_ unless she knew them exceptionally well. The yokai made soft sounds at the horse, scratching at her face with a smile. He spoke to her in a quiet, soothing voice.

"Thank you for carrying my mate around." Eren looked slyly at Levi, smirking. "Though I guess he doesn't weigh much." 

Levi knew Hange could not hear him as she saddled up her mount. She would've laughed. The scout sighed as he went to go pull out the saddle, and it was more trouble than it should have been to get Jiyuu ready. She was too concerned with the demon stroking her, clicking his tongue at her and telling her what a good girl she was. Levi felt betrayed by the animal somehow. When Hange and Levi led the horses out of the stables and mounted them, Eren looked up at his mate with a grin.

 _I suppose you won't let me ride behind you?_ Levi glared at the yokai.

_You fucking suppose right._

Eren shrugged in defeat before walking up to Jiyuu and running his hand down her nose. He put his mouth up the the horses ear.

"Since he won't let me ride, let's race."

The demon took off running down the path toward Wall Rose, still only clad in Levi's cloak, tied around his hips just underneath where his tail erupted at the base of his spine. He held the fabric closed as he moved through the high grass like lightning. Only Levi could see him, and he wondered that the yokai made any attempt to cover himself. He certainly wasn't modest, had not seemed the least bit concerned about his nudity the previous night. Eren was concealing himself for Levi, to make him less uncomfortable. Had to be. Something twisted inside Levi, deep down in a place that he did not recognize. Suddenly Jiyuu was chasing Eren, jolting Levi up and down roughly as she barrelled after the yokai like she had understood what he said and did, in fact, want to race. Hange dug her heels into her mount, taking off after them with a laugh. Levi was glad that he did not need to pay much attention to his animal, that she had made this trip so many times before, because he could not tear his gaze away from the yokai in front of him.

Eren ran like the wind, faster than Jiyuu could ever hope to be. His horns shone in the sunlight, glittering obsidian, and that tail wove back and forth through the air behind him. Levi could not see his face, but it was clear that Eren loved this. His free hand pumped up and down with each step, muscles tensing and flexing as he pushed himself forward. His bare feet ate up the distance, knees high, hair flying wildly around his head. All Levi could think was, _beautiful. Breathtaking._ When Eren turned his head to glance back at Levi, green eyes shining with amusement as he smiled, the scout realized that his yokai had heard it in his mind. He bared his teeth at the demon with a hiss, but he just smiled even wider, all teeth and no mercy.

They rode the rest of the way to the village center in silence, but it was anything but quiet in Levi's head.

 

....................................................................

 

Erwin was in the Inner Hall when Levi entered, making a beeline for his room. The imposing blonde made his way over to Levi, who tensed nervously as he approached. Eren looked at Levi, then over to Erwin, eyes narrowing as he took in his scouts response to the man. He'd not spared anyone else in this entire place a single glance, walking past them all imperiously, like they didn't even exist. Now this guy walked up to Levi, and he looked at the ground, muscles going tight, jaw clenching, steps faltering. The yokai did not realize he was baring his teeth until Levi glanced at him and furrowed his brow. 

_Who is he to you?_

_He's my scout master. My commander._ Levi refused to look at Eren as Erwin reached them, throwing his arms around the scout and crushing him into a hug. The yokai felt his hands curling into claws, ready to rend flesh, to break bone. Someone was touching his mate, and he was fairly certain from that flushed face that Levi _liked it._

"Levi, you can't just go outside alone, shit-faced drunk, without saying a word to anyone. Hange and me were worried about you. We didn't tell your dad, though." Erwin released him, patting him roughly on the back as he took in his disheveled state. "Wow, that's rare. I don't think I've ever seen you like this. What happened to your clothes, boy? Did you get lucky?" Levi blushed brighter, backing up a step before responding.

"I got drunk, fucking sue me. I need to go shower and change." Erwin laughed.

"Yeah, you do. There's an envoy from Trost here. They want to talk about the dam in the river. They sent their _heiress,_ Levi, second in line after her brother. She's here to meet you." Levi's eyes went wide before narrowing in disgust. "You know what that means."

"Yes, I know what that means." Levi fisted his hands in his hair. He couldn't get any air, or he would be screaming. Eren saw his mate's breathing go erratic, eyes desperate and furious.

 _What does that mean? An heiress, here to meet you?_ He glanced over at the yokai, but did not respond before returning his gaze to Erwin.

"I can't catch a fucking break. I'm not marrying some chieftan's daughter just to ease my dad's mind or to placate some village leader miles and miles away from here." Erwin's face filled with sympathy, and his hand reached out and squeezed Levi's shoulder. Eren wanted to sever it at the wrist and throw it back at him.

"Either way you need to go get cleaned up and head to your dad's office."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Erwin walked away with a sigh, and Levi's eyes followed him as he went. The scout felt Eren's hand on his shoulder, right where Erwin had touched him, fingers tracing greedily over the surface.

 _What is he to you, Levi?_ Levi slapped his hand away before walking towards his room, yokai trailing behind him.

 _I told you, he's my scout master._ Eren's eyes were full of fire, but his scout did not see them as he opened his door and entered the room. The yokai shut the door behind them and grabbed Levi, pressing him up against the wall and leaning his face in close. His arms went around Levi, moving up and down over his flesh. He needed that blonde's scent off his mate, and he needed it replaced with his own. The scout eyed him warily, ready to bolt, but Eren pulled back and that slitted stare froze Levi in place. Eren searched his face for something, looking down into him, past his eyes and into his soul. Whatever he was trying to find, he did not seem to recognize it there.

 _He is more than that._ A dark laugh came out of Levi, desolate and full of despair.

 _No. He isn't._ The yokai's hand came up to grasp the scouts jaw, holding it tight as he stared in those blue gray orbs.

 _You want him to be._ Levi shoved Eren away viciously, moving to his closet to pull out fresh clothes.

_What I want isn't any of your fucking concern._

But it _was._ Eren watched Levi rifle through his closet and move around his room with an ache in his chest he had never felt before. As his eyes ate up his mate, a steely determination sang through his veins. No one would take Levi from him, not his commander or an heiress or anyone else. They were fated for each other, and Levi would see it sooner or later. Eren was prepared to fight for what was his.

If you don't fight, you can't win. And looking at his mate, smelling his scent, hearing his breaths.... Eren was definitely going to win.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for taking the time to read my work, as always let me know what you think. All the feedback and kudos are appreciated!


	5. Desires

Levi expected the yokai to follow him into the shower, and was surprised when he did not. He honestly did not think the demon would let him out of his sight. Their plumbing was nothing fancy, but as Levi stepped under that trickle of icy water, it was heaven. He thrust his head into the stream, sighing as it plastered his hair to his face. This, more than anything else, made him tempted to live here in the hall. Only the buildings in the inner parts of the village had plumbing like this. Even so, it was not enough. The barracks might be full of stinking wretched scouts, but they were _his_ stinking wretched scouts, and even the lure of a daily shower was not enough to endure living here away from his men, under the watchful eyes of the village leaders. They thought Levi was ungrateful and difficult, not understanding why he did not move into the Hall with his father, take a wife, produce an heir. In their minds he did not appreciate the gifts he'd been given. This life of privilege he found himself in was not a gift but a burden he bore. The villagers, as well as the leaders here, were the ones who did not appreciate the things they'd been given. The gift of walls around them, keeping them safe, of soldiers who left that safety to keep the monsters of the world at bay. Many of these people had never even seen a yokai. They did not grasp the magnitude of such a thing. The woods their village was nestled in crawled with voracious beasts, starved and infectious and howling for their flesh, yet they went about their daily lives without giving them a second thought. Being able to forget about the demons that crawled through the night? _That_ was a gift, and they took it for granted, a sun that would always rise.

Levi pressed his forehead into the cool stone of the shower wall. More than anything else, he wanted to stand under this water forever and never come out. Levi wanted to forget about everything, his father and his station, the scouts and Erwin, the feral monsters he fought day in and day out. _Not your yokai?_ He sighed as he began washing himself, meticulous and thorough. Under his nails, between his toes, fingers scraping roughly against scalp. As though he could scrub his problems away with soap and determination. When he was rinsed clean, he stepped out of the shower and felt the loss deep inside. Levi dried off and dressed with the speed born of sharing close quarters with dozens of scouts, combing through wet hair with his fingers as he walked back into the room.

Eren was laying on his bed, pillow clutched in his arms, looking for all the world like an innocent teenager. Save for the horns, anyway. He was wearing clothes he had pilfered from God knows where, and Levi even noticed an extra belt and set of blades leaning against the wall in the corner. The yokai looked more serious than Levi had ever seen him, brows drawn together, teeth biting at his bottom lip, furry tip of his tail twitching restlessly back and forth. His face was troubled, and Levi realized that the ever since he had appeared, other than the moment of jealousy Erwin had triggered, that face had been nothing but smiling and amused. When Levi emerged from his shower the yokai had looked.... sad. And for some reason he did not want to examine too closely, that sadness made Levi's chest ache. 

Then the yokai had caught sight of his mate, hair wet and tousled, smelling of soap and clean water. His gaze filled with heat, and before he could stop himself he was on his feet, standing in front of the scout with his breath coming in ragged pants. Those sharp teeth finally released his lip, and Levi had to fight the urge to run his thumb over the drop of blood left behind. The scout shuddered at the sight of it. He wanted to lick it up, wanted to _taste_ it. His thoughts twisted hot and red through his mind. Levi realized he was standing there in front of Eren, staring at him like an idiot, when the yokai spoke. Out loud, and not in his mind, though somehow he knew no one else would be able to hear it.

"Can I please hold you?"

Levi did not answer, but he felt his head nod, and wondered what part of his brain had wanted those arms around him. Eren let out a breath the scout had not known he was holding and reached around to pull Levi close, burying his face in that raven hair and inhaling his scent. Levi's fists were clenched at his sides as he felt the yokai's hands moving in slow, gentle circles on his back. The scout was suddenly overwhelmingly tired, down to his very bones. Levi rested his face against Eren's chest, closing his eyes and leaning into him. _I could stay here all day._ He startled at his own thoughts, wondering where they had come from.

"Me too." Levi felt his lips pull back in a snarl, hating the way this yokai had invaded his head, but he did not push him away. _Why don't I push him away?_ When the scout spoke it was quieter and with less venom than he had intended.

"Stay out of my head, shitty yokai bastard." Whispered so low, it didn't sound like an insult to Eren. Levi's voice was rough, lost in the depths of his throat.

"I can't help it. I'm not psychic, but you project your thoughts to me without trying. It's instinct." The yokai rubbed his face back and forth in Levi's dark locks. _So soft._ He reached up to scratch his fingers along the edge of his mate's undercut, and Levi fought the urge to push his head into that hand like a cat.

"Don't listen." Eren laughed, and Levi felt the demons breath brushing across his neck as he answered.

"I can't help it." 

"Try. Demon brat."

"You know, I'm ancient. Literally thousands of years old."

"Sure look like a stupid brat to me." 

Levi shoved him away then, not looking up into those eyes that saw right through him as he strapped on his blades. He did not need them so deep inside the city, especially not in the Inner Hall at a political meeting. Wearing his swords to meet the representatives from Trost sent a message that words could not get across on their own. It said, 'I am the heir, I wield this steel, and I will wield it against you if I must.' His father would be furious at him, but he would not play nice with these people. They could hate him if they wanted, but they would fear him as well. Levi did not need the leaders of Trost to like him, but to respect him, and a scout bearing his steel demanded more respect than a chieftan's son sitting pretty at a desk. Levi headed to the door only to be stilled by a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see the yokai standing before him, dressed in his stolen scouting uniform, blades hanging at his hips. Wearing the clothes of Levi's scouts, hands resting on the hilts of those blades.... Levi had not expected it to look so damned _appetizing._ He wanted to tear that uniform right back off. He licked his lips without realizing it before he spoke.

"You look like a dog wearing clothes." 

"I'll be your dog if I can sleep at your feet."

"Tch! You can sleep outside." The yokai was silent for a long time, and when he finally replied, he looked earnest and happy.

"Thank you." The scout did not want to get in the habit of answering the demon out loud, even though he hated the bastard talking in his head.

_For what?_

_Letting me touch you._ Levi made a sound of frustration through his teeth, moving down the hallway and towards his father's office. 

_Don't get used to it, brat._ He could almost _feel_ Eren smiling behind him, and Levi wasn't happy the yokai had that smirk on his face again. He _wasn't._

_Oh, it's too late now._

Levi mumbled profanities as he headed towards his destination, yokai trailing behind him the whole time, invisible to all but his mate and grinning like an idiot.

 

.....................................................................................................

 

When his mate had gone into the shower, it had been a fight with his instincts not to follow after him. Eren wanted shove his wet, naked form against the wall, take his mouth with a groan, grip Levi's shaft in his fist as he split those strong legs wide.... _Fuck._ He had to restrain himself. All it would take would be his lips pressed tight into his mates, and soon Levi would be desperate with want, begging Eren to take him. A yokai's kiss was intoxicating to his mate and if he lingered in that sweet, wet heat long enough, the scout would melt for him. And as much as Eren wanted to be buried between Levi's thighs, the yokai wanted Levi to choose him. Otherwise when it was done, and the haze of the climax faded, Levi would resent him for it. Until his mate was ready, Eren would wait. When he claimed the scout as his own, dug his teeth into that tender throat, heard him cry out his name as he savaged his tight flesh.... It would be worth it.

The yokai did not have the willpower to stand in the room with Levi naked and wet so close by. He went out into the hall, sniffing around until he found the trail of that blonde bastard that had put his hands on his mate. Eren tracked his scent to a bedroom and went in, finding it empty. The man had left, probably already gone to meet with Levi's father. He could smell Levi's _commander,_ but the room was also inundated with a softer scent. A female, the blonde's mate. It was obvious from the way their smells melded together, that feminine aroma permeating the bed here. Eren was torn between warring emotions. He was glad that this man had a partner he desired, that he would not be after his Levi. Which meant Eren would not need to slit his throat, not today at least. It would be so easy to do. When he'd pulled the smaller scout into a hug earlier, Eren had wanted to kill him. He'd never wanted to take a human life in all his millennia of existence, was created to watch over mankind. In that moment, with that man's arms wrapped around his mate, all Eren could picture was the blonde bleeding out under his claws, gasping for breath, choking on the hot red liquid as it bubbled up into his mouth. Eren felt his teeth baring themselves with a growl even now.

On the other hand, he thought that this male was incredibly stupid, and he was grateful for that incalculable idiocy. His Levi lived with this man, worked with him, respected him, _wanted_ him. Eren did not understand how someone could resist the temptation of his delicious little mate, close and consenting and wanting his touch. Surely if Eren could see how the scout felt in one passing glance, this ignorant bastard would have noticed after so much time near Levi. The scout master was either incredibly oblivious for not noticing, or a complete fucking moron for not wanting Levi as his own. Eren wanted to thank him, and destroy him, all at the same time. He had finally left the room before he gave into his urges and shredded everything in it to pieces. Eren needed some clothes to wear, and he'd be damned if he put on anything that smelled like this fuckwit.

After he had dressed, and procured a pair of swords, he went back into his mate's room and laid on his bed. Eren rubbed himself all over the blankets, the sheets, marking the bedding with his scent before hugging Levi's pillow tight to his face and breathing in deep. _Levi._ The scent was not as strong as it should be, as if he slept somewhere else most of the time, but it was enough to make Eren shoot hard and needy. He bit into his lip with a whine, closing his eyes as he listened to the water pour over his Levi in the other room.

One day instead of water, it would be Eren's fingers running over that taut flesh, finding every hollow in those sculpted muscles, invading every corner of that perfect form. He would taste him and touch him and fill him with need. Levi would whimper and mewl and quake under his hands, a slave to desire, boneless and begging for Eren's embrace. The yokai could hear it even now, _'Please, please, Eren, please...'_

Whatever his mate asked for he would give to him. Hard, and fast, and without mercy.


	6. Plots

Levi and Eren heard angry voices as the approached the door of his father's office. Levi felt his hands tighten around his weapons instinctively, and had to force himself to loosen his grip and open the door. Levi's father was there, sitting at his desk with Erwin standing behind him, along with Commander Pixis, who was in charge of manning and maintaining Wall Sina. Even Levi knew enough about Trost and it's chieftain to know who to expect here. There were three members of their envoy there, a blonde woman and two men, though Levi knew they must have ridden in with at least a dozen. No one made a journey that far with only three people, no matter how good they were. The woman was seated, with the two males standing behind her. That sent a message as clearly as Levi's steel. 'We won't be here long, no matter what is said.' They all scowled at Levi, taking in his blades and uniform with critical eyes, though the female's gaze was particularly hostile.

"You must be Levi. 'Humanity's greatest soldier.' I don't see it. I guess rumors can't be trusted." Annie was the chieftain of Trost's only daughter, and though the scout had never met the girl, this had to be her. Levi felt a snarl on his face.

"You must be Annie. They said you were a great beauty. Guess your right about the rumor thing." One of the men behind her, blonde and square jawed, took a step forward at that only to be stilled by a hand on his shoulder by his dark haired companion. Levi laughed at the sight. "I thought we were here to talk about the dam in the river, not measure dicks."

"We were here to talk about the dam, hours ago. Oh, but now you've decided to grace us with your presence, so by all means why don't we waste our time and go over everything again for you? Plus, taking into consideration your-" Her gaze travelled up and down Levi with a smirk. "Stature.... There's really no need to measure, is there?" Levi felt himself grinning. He'd been worried about having to marry this girl, afraid he was going to be greeted with an heiress grasping for stature by wedding the heir to the chieftain of the most powerful settlement in the area. He felt Eren's voice in his head as he watched the yokai crouch not two feet in front of Annie, sniffing, tilting his head in that canine way of his. The yokai looked confused.

_I thought they wanted you to wed this one. She seems more likely to give you a blade in your gut than a child in hers._

_I can see that. I'm glad. I'd rather face her blade than her vows._ Eren looked over his shoulder, grinning right along with Levi. 

_Yes, at least with a blade you know what you're up against._ Levi shook his head, doing his damnedest not to watch the demon as he walked around the trio with a regal air, taking them in, studying them, scenting them. His tail arched around, flicking back and forth inches in front of their noses. They did not so much as flinch.

"I don't need you to go over everything for me. Trost is nothing if not predictable. You want us to divert the waters from the river towards your settlement, because you say we have no right to keep it from your people. And we tell you, time and time again, that we would be glad to if the dam wasn't crawling with yokai night and day, who take out half our men every time we try to attempt it." Eren was paying more attention now that they were discussing something meaningful. He perched on the desk in front of Levi's father, throwing a painfully venomous look at Erwin before he turned back around.

"It is the Mitrians who dammed up the river in the first place, and it's your responsibility to right that wrong. Another year of rainfall like we had last season will throw my people into a famine."

"The Mitrians who did so have all been dead for a hundred years. It's not as if the fucking thing went up yesterday. If Trost would do as we asked, and send it's own scouts to assist us, we might be able to do what you ask. But I cannot, _will_ not, send dozens of my scouts out to die on a suicide mission alone just to stroke your father's ego." His father spoke up with a sigh.

"Levi...."

"Father."

"If Trost and Mitras were to become bound together as allies...." He gave Annie and Levi a significant look, as though they were being particularly difficult. Which Levi supposed they were. "Then I'm sure we could come to some sort of arrangement. With one of their own sitting alongside you as heir, perhaps they would be willing to send their men to assist us in this, and we could settle this disagreement once and for all." Annie and Levi scoffed in unison, with the scout rolling his eyes. Before he could tell his father just what he thought of such an _alliance_ , Annie saved him the trouble.

"My father sent me here hoping to marry me of to your son now that he is heir instead of your nephew, Chieftain Leven, but he should know by now that I will do no such thing. I may not be the one inheriting the seat of Chieftain in Trost, but I will stand beside my brother and help him lead, not by the side of some man I barely know, popping out babies and knitting goddamned sweaters. I mean no disrespect to you or your son..." She cut her eyes at Levi, and it was clear she meant all the disrespect she could muster. "But I will not be some mewling chieftain's wife. Not his, and not anyone else's." Eren looked at Levi, raising his eyebrows with a smirk.

_She's a feisty one._

_I'm grateful. I would rather kill a thousand yokai and clear that dam myself than see her walk down an altar towards me._

_I can clear the yokai from that dam for you, divert the waters. It will be easy._ Levi went wide eyed in disbelief. He couldn't be distracted right now. They could discuss this later.

"I'm frankly relieved that you don't want to marry me, but we still can't send so many of our men to die without the slightest bit of cooperation from you. Go home and talk to your father. Come back with three dozen of your scouts. Then we can see what can be done about the dam and your people's water." Annie's eyes glinted, dark and dangerous, before she nodded.

"I'll talk to him, but we both know how that's likely to go." She stood up, nodding to the men in turn. "Chieftain Leven. Commander Erwin. Commander Pixis." Annie turned to Levi, bowing as low as she could, eyes on his. " _Captain_ Levi." It was almost a shame that Levi couldn't stand her. Annie had to be the most sarcastic bitch he had ever met. Their kids would have been a force to be reckoned with, and Levi couldn't help but smile a bit. She and her men began to file out, closing the door behind them. Levi's father sighed.

"Shit, that went well." Leven was being sarcastic, but to Levi the meeting was suspicious. Why sent your heiress, who you know damn well won't marry, to discuss an issue that has been discussed time and time again? The chieftain of Trost knew what needed to be done to get Mitras to divert those waters, had met with Leven more than once and argued about it for hours to no avail. So why send Annie, his only daughter, only to have her go straight back home, a dangerous journey through miles and miles of yokai infested territory on a pointless political mission? Eren was watching Levi's face as Erwin and Pixis spoke to each other in low voices.

_What is it, Levi?_

_I don't trust them. It doesn't make sense to send her here. I can't figure it out._ Eren jumped down from his seat on the desk, moving to walk out the door.

 _I'll go see what they have to say when they go back to their room. I'll come find you when I'm done._ It had never occurred to Levi to have his yokai spy on them, but now he felt stupid for not considering it. 

_Yes, go. I'll be-_ Eren laid a finger alongside his nose.

_I'll be able to find you, little mate._

Levi gritted his teeth as the demon left, tail swishing through the air behind him.

................................................................................................................

Eren chased quickly after the trio, moving into their room behind them before they closed the door. He crouched in front of it, eying them suspiciously. If his mate did not trust them, he did not trust them. The big blonde spoke up, smirking.

"They said he was a difficult little shit, but he's almost as bad as you, Annie. You sure you don't wanna marry him?"

"Shut up Reiner. It doesn't matter if he is or not. All we need to do is bide our time here for a few days. They should be able to lead the horde here by then." The dark haired one spoke up then, looking uncertain.

"Do you really think our people are going to be able to get the west gate open?" Annie shrugged.

"Levi is stationed at the south, Erwin to the north. No one is getting those doors open under their watch. The land makes the east gate impossible. The west is our only choice. They'll get it open." Reiner sighed, sitting down with a thud.

"I still don't think there are enough yokai in that horde to do what we need here."

"All we need is a distraction. I think a few hundred fucking ferals will do that."

"And you're sure our guys can take out the west patrol before they notice such a huge horde and notify their people?"

"We have good men over there. When they get close enough, they'll be able to get rid of those scouts, no problem. All we have to do it open the gates and let the monsters in, and the scouts will go running to fight them. The rest of the gates will be wide open, and our soldiers will be able to walk in like they own the place. We've gone over this, guys. Just sit tight and calm the fuck down." Annie smiled, and her teeth looked sharper than any demons. "Mitras will be ours in a week, and I'll have that cocky little scout's head on a pike for the yokai to pick clean."

Eren felt liquid dripping from his hands, and he looked down to realize they were fisted so tight that his nails had cut open his flesh. His jaw popped, and he felt himself growling rather than heard it. Kill his Levi? _No._ They would not. The yokai wanted to slaughter them then and there, but that would do nothing to stop their people from opening the gates, letting in the yokai, invading this village. If anything, it would let them know that someone was aware of their plan, which might make them more cautious. Eren opened the door, padding silently out of the room. The people inside would not notice it opening and closing, hear a sound, maybe, or see movement out of the corner of their eye only to look and see nothing there. 

His mate was back in his room, leaning against his headboard and staring at the ceiling with an unfathomable expression, and for a moment Eren forgot all about plots and yokai and armies. All he wanted was to straddle those hips, frot against his mate's length, have him aching beneath him. Those blue gray eyes found his, and he lost his breath. Levi looked at him, a worried expression crossing his face.

"Eren?" The yokai tried to breathe, tried to think. That was the first time Levi had ever said his name, and now more than anything he wanted to hear him shout it in ecstasy. He did not feel his eyes grow wet, but those green orbs were shining. All his thousands of years fell away, and he was helpless before this scout, a slave to him in every way. When he spoke his voice was shredded.

"Y-you said my name." The scout looked at him, and bit back the scathing response that was on his tongue. All the yokai's cocky bravado was gone, replaced with something else entirely. He did not see a demon. There was only a boy, young and uncertain, desperate for his affection. No one in Levi's entire life had wanted anything like that from him. They wanted his approval, or his help, or his obedience. They wanted Levi for the things he could do for him, and not who he was inside. This yokai before him, trembling and uncertain, did not care about any of that. He just wanted _Levi,_ plain and simple, and that made the scout feel weak and powerful at the same time. Levi's brow furrowed, and all on their own his hands came up, motioning for the yokai to come forward. Eren walked around to the side of the bed, kneeling on it's surface next to his mate. He was biting his lip again, could feel it, but his teeth would not let go. The scout pulled Eren into a hug, the yokai's face buried in his chest.

"It's not that serious. Don't get all girly on me. I don't know how to deal with women." Eren shuddered, arms going around Levi's stomach as he rubbed his face back and forth.

"Duly noted."

Eventually the yokai pulled back, hesitantly taking his mate's hand, and when Levi did not protest his entire being sang with victory. It was a long time before Eren could speak, and when he did so his voice was no longer shaking.


	7. Threats

When Eren finished his story, sitting next to the scout on his bed with their shoulders touching, hands entwined, Levi looked truly frightening. His eyes were dark, darting around at things unseen, thoughts working silently. Levi wanted to go to Annie's room and split the three of them open with his blades. It was only through sheer willpower that he remained sitting on his bed, jaw clenched tight, mind in flames. There was too much to do, and no one who would understand him or believe him besides the yokai and Hange. They needed to sweep the east woods, find the interlopers and drive them back, but they had no idea just how many Trost scouts were out there, just as adept at hiding in the shadows and the trees as Levi and his men. The horde headed towards them from the west was just as much of a problem, and there was no way to get any information about it without endangering lives. When Levi told Erwin these things, or his father, they would want to know how he knew, which brought up a host of problems in and of itself. Levi did not know where to start to save his people, and Eren sensed his disquiet. His thumb traced over Levi's knuckles slowly, and the scout should probably be annoyed. Instead it calmed him, made him want to lean into the demon, press his face into him and breathe in. He held himself still, trying to focus on the problem at hand and not the yokai next to him, but it was a challenge.

"If we go to the stones, I can summon two of Lady Izanami's shrine demons to help me. Their not quite the same type of yokai as me, but close enough, and they're my friends. They'll be glad to see me, glad to help. We can have them go check out the east forest and see how many men there are lying in wait, or get them to go thin out that horde headed this way. Or stay here in the village on the walls and fight with your men unseen, if you prefer. Let me help you."

"You can summon them?" Levi's eyes narrowed sharply. "Like I summoned you?" _Are they your mates too?_ The last part was only in his head, but his demon heard it clear as day, and Eren smiled at the acid in his scouts voice.

"No. Yokai like me only have one fated mate. Always a human. Those I will summon are a bit more....." Eren smiled a sly smile, and Levi could not decide if it was unnerving or enticing. "Polyamorous. If you will." Eren brought Levi's hand up to kiss his knuckles, green eyes locked with his. "For me there's only you." Levi flushed and looked away, taking a deep breath. He did not pull his hand away, however, or call Eren a shitty yokai bastard. _Progress._

"Stop that." 

"Stop what?" Eren knew damn well what.

"Don't play dumb, demon brat." The yokai flattened Levi's hand in his lap, tracing over the lines of his palm with nimble fingers. His tail came up from between the two of them, laying over Levi's knees, furry tip twitching back and forth. The scout could not help but watch it warily as it moved across him, cat like in its motion. Levi had the strangest urge to pet the fur on its end, see if it was as soft as Eren's hair looked. The scout had not touched his dark locks, scattered messily around those horns, and suddenly wondered what they would feel like under his fingers. What would those horns feel like if he wrapped his palm around them, tugged Eren down to his mouth.... _Fuck._ He had no idea how many of his thoughts were getting through to the yokai next to him. Levi tried to shove them deep inside his mind.

"Why should I stop?"

"I... I don't know. Just stop."

"I have to win your affections. Nothing else matters." 

_Why do you want to?_ The thought whipped through his head, fast as a magic trick, and he wanted to suck the words back in but it was too late.

 _Because you're **you.** I want you. You're mine._ That sultry voice inside his head was too much, too personal. He liked it, despite himself.

"Can't you just give this up already? You should know it's hopeless."

"I never give up, not so long as I'm breathing. And I've never wanted anything as much as I want you, little mate. I need you." Levi sighed. This wasn't the time to be doing this.

"We need to tell Hange and..." He trailed off, not even wanting to say it, not wanting to even think it, but not seeing an alternative. "We need to tell Erwin. About this. About you." The yokai smiled, too many teeth, all of them sharp looking and hungry.

"I think that's a wonderful idea. There are things I wish to say to him." Levi rolled his eyes to hide his apprehension. He did not think Eren would hurt the scout master, but he couldn't be sure.

"Don't threaten my commander. I can't have you going after him." Eren let out a hiss, slitted gaze glinting dangerously as he straddled Levi's hips, mouth inches away from the scouts as green fire danced in his eyes. The yokai snatched up Levi's hands, pinning them over his head as he ground himself against his mate. Levi's mouth fell open with a pant, and his mind spun in hazy circles. He was supposed to be doing something about this, but couldn't think what it was. The scout suddenly wanted to taste that furious mouth.

"Don't defend him to me. It's dangerous for him." The yokai blinked a few times as he came back to himself, looking at Levi's uncertain face, hands held roughly over his head. Eren jumped off of him, backing up until he hit the bedroom wall. He went to his knees, exposing his throat to the scout with his gaze locked on the ground.

"I'm sorry, master. Forgive me. I won't harm your commander, I swear it. Just don't.... " His eyes came up to meet Levi's, pleading, desperate. "Don't choose him, Levi. You're not for him. You're _mine._ " Levi could face a horde of yokai all on his own and come out without a scratch. He could calm dozens of panicking scouts with a few words, keep his head without effort when things went south outside of the walls. With this boy yokai in front of him, kneeling and begging Levi to be his.... Levi had never been so lost.

"Get up, sit back down over here." Eren held his stare for a few moments, features twisted in frustration, before he got up from the floor and sat on the foot of Levi's bed facing him. The scout needed to shut up, he really did, but his mouth was moving on it's own. "He's... He was never going to want me. I didn't even know what it meant to really be wanted by someone, until...." _Until you._ He couldn't say it, but he knew the yokai heard him. "I would never be that to him. I'm starting to think...." Levi needed to stop talking, and he needed to stop talking now. _Shut up, Levi, shut up, shut up shut your stupid fucking mouth..._

"Starting to think what?" Levi shook his head, hands fisting in his hair.

"Nothing. Go find Hange for me, have her get Erwin and come here?" Eren wanted to press, needed to know what Levi had been going to say, but he just nodded.

"Anything for you, little mate." The barefoot yokai went silently from the room to fetch his friends.

Levi cursed himself, had to clench his fists tight to keep them from grabbing something and throwing it across the room. He'd just have to clean it up. What the fuck had he been about to say to that stupid yokai? That meeting him made Levi think he'd never truly cared for Erwin in the first place? It's not that the scout wanted to cling to these useless feelings. He'd just borne them so long that to admit they were not what he had thought them to be felt like a betrayal. Like defeat. In less than a day this boy yokai had him twisted up inside in ways Erwin never had. In ways nothing ever had. Levi had faced almost certain death before with more courage and confidence than he had in front of this demon brat. Thinking of those sly green eyes, horns glittering in that messy hair.... If recognizing these feelings for Eren was defeat, for the first time in his life, Levi might want to be defeated. And that terrified him.

The scout expected his demon to return first, leaving Hange to fetch Erwin, so he was surprised when the three came in together. Shitty glasses was grinning like an idiot, and Erwin was not freaking out, so he knew they could not see Eren at the moment. Hange shut the door behind them, looking stupidly happy. She still had her swords strapped on, but Erwin did not, and Levi was glad for that. He stood up, moving to stand in front of Erwin with a grim expression.

 _Stand close me. I don't know how he'll react._ Eren smiled, moving next to scout immediately with a face that was far too satisfied.

"You don't have a weapon, Erwin? Pocket knife, anything?" His brows furrowed in confusion.

"No Levi. Why? What's this about? Your mad scientist dragged me in here but wouldn't tell me anything." Levi did not know where to start.

"Ah.... I went out into the woods, to those stone ruins last night. The ones they say are haunted."

"Yeah, I know. You're an idiot. I can't believe they even let you through the gate."

"I went up the wall, used my gear to climb down." There were handholds and footholds on the inside surfaces of the walls that the agile scouts could climb, along with metal hooks on the edge so they could strap in with climbing equipment and ease themselves down. It was safer than opening and closing the gate, if no one was using a mount anyway.

"What? You were staggering drunk, how'd you even manage to climb up? I'm surprised you're not dead, you fucking moron." Eren was bristling at the tone he was using, calling his mate an idiot, a moron. He'd be lucky if he had a tongue tonight at this rate.

"That's not the point here, you stupid giant bastard. I can tell you, they aren't haunted, but they are.... Different. I smashed a wine bottle, cut myself, kind of acted an ass out there in the woods. Then...." _Then I summoned a yokai, who says he is my mate._ Levi couldn't get the words out. Would never be able to, not in a thousand years. "Oh, fuck me. Just show him."

Eren flashed into existence beside Levi, arms crossed, looking dangerously at the scout master. By the gods, he hated this fucker. Erwin's eyes went wide, and he had snatched Hange's blade from its sheathe before four eyes knew what was happening. Levi had his own out just as fast, and as Erwin moved to swing his steel at Eren, Levi's leg came up. He kicked Erwin in the gut hard enough to send him crashing into the wall and sliding to the ground, sword still in hand. Then as he tried to move his weapon hand forward, Levi was kneeling on his chest, foot crushing his dominant wrist until the sword dropped, eyes sparking with a fury he had not known was inside him. His own sword was at Erwin's throat. Levi had never, not in all the years and years he had trained with Erwin, gotten the better of him like this. The scout was good, but Erwin was the scout _master_ for a reason. Now in the blink of an eye, he had him pinned to ground, helpless and unarmed, blade on his neck ready to slice. It had all happened to fast that Eren and Hange just stood there, frozen in surprise. Levi's words slid out, venomous and deadly, singing with truth and certainty.

"Don't you fucking do that. I'll kill you, Erwin." Fuck, what did he just say? That he would kill his scout master for threatening Eren? Even as he realized he had pinned his commander to the ground, had a fucking _sword_ at his throat, threatened him with death over a _demon,_ he could not move. Eren fought a smile off his face. He wanted to scream to the heavens in victory, loud enough that his Lady would hear his triumph. Erwin looked incredulously at Levi, like he had grown another head.

"Levi, it's a _yokai._ " The words were out before he even realized he was speaking, pouring from an ancient place inside him.

"He's mine." The scout blinked hard, looking down at his scout master under his steel with shock, like he didn't know how they had gotten there. He stood up, kicking Hange's sword over to her as he backed away from Erwin. She picked up the blade and sheathed it. Eren remained silent, moving up behind Levi until their shoulders were touching, tail wrapping around his mate's leg possessively. The blonde got to his feet, gazing from Eren to Levi in disbelief. "I... I'm sorry, Master Erwin. I shouldn't have done that."

"What do you mean, he's yours Levi? He's a fucking demon. We've been killing monsters like him our whole lives." Levi shook his head. Hange was remaining suspiciously silent as all this played out. Probably taking mental notes in her head. 'Accumulating data.' _Stupid shitty four eyes._

"He's not like them. I can't let you hurt him. He's our ally. He's the one who followed Annie and her men into their room, listened to what they said, heard their plan."

"You can't trust a goddamned yokai, Levi! What's the matter with you?" Eren spoke up before Levi could respond.

"I would never do anything to hurt Levi." The scout master looked on in horror as the demon spoke. He was speechless.

"Erwin, all he has done is protect me. I fell asleep on the ground, drunk, at night, outside the walls. I'm only here because he watched over me." Erwin's face looked furious.

"Why would some deviant yokai care what happens to you?" Eren looked at his mate, tail unwrapping from Levi's leg to curl around the scout's waist, and the scout master's face went pale with realization. "Levi, please tell me this isn't what I think it is. Tell me." Levi's hands went back up to his hair, pulling at the strands roughly. The yokai wanted to pound this idiot in front of him into the ground, feel his bones shattering under his fists, knuckles wet with gore. He could have had his Levi, could have taken him for his own, and had not. Did not want him. Just the idea enraged the yokai more than anything ever had before. Now, he was trying to keep Eren away from his scout? He would break his sacred vows to Izanami and take this innocent man's life in a heartbeat if he stood between Eren and his mate. No force in this world or the next would keep the demon from his Levi.

"Fuck, Erwin, that's not important right now! What's important is that we keep our people from fucking dying! Keep these Trostian bastards from opening out gates and taking our village!"

"Who knows if that's even the truth! We have no way of knowing!"

"The consequences of not believing him are too great to ignore, Erwin. Thousands upon thousands of lives. All I'm asking you to do it notify the scouts on the east and west walls. Have them be careful with their patrols. Tell Mike there could be a horde headed his way from the west. Let the scout regiment on the east side pull some men from the reserve barracks. And tell them not to abandon their gates, no matter what happens. For you to keep close watch on the north side. What harm can come from caution, Erwin? How can being prepared hurt us in any way?" Erwin looked torn, glancing at Eren like he was a particularly filthy dog someone had accidentally let inside, tracking mud all over everything that was his.

"I don't like this, Levi. You are being foolish and impulsive. I'll do as you ask, but when I've talked to the other scout captains and our defenses have been shored up in the north tower, I am coming to the cathedral to talk to you." His eyes flicked towards the yokai and back. "Without this fucking animal there." Erwin stormed out towards his room, and Levi closed his eyes tight, sighing. 

When he opened them, his yokai was gone.

..................................................................

Eren ran, invisible and faster than the winds, and was waiting in Erwin's room when he walked in. As soon as the blonde opened the door, he flashed himself into existence, perched on the man's dresser in a crouch, tail flicking to and fro in the air. Erwin's face twisted in disgust.

"I could kill you right now, you filthy fucking bastard. You need to stay away from Levi. Leave this place, if you know what's good for you." Eren bared his teeth at Erwin with a hiss.

"You are the one who needs to stay away from Levi. You also need to stop insulting him. He is mine. You have a little female of your own. Come between me and my mate again, and I'll leave you in pieces for her to find." The scout master went red in fury, moving towards Eren as though he was going to make a grab for him. Eren flashed into nothingness, moving around the blonde and taking his feet out from under him with his tail before pouncing on his chest, foot on one of Erwin's wrists, tail encircling the other like a vise. He turned himself visible once more, teeth still bared with a growl. The scout master was immobile, trapped under this wisp of a demon. No one that size should be able to subdue him so easily, and he felt rage swimming inside him as he looked up into those slitted demon eyes.

"I won't let you hurt Levi. He's like my son. I'll never give him over to a monster like you." Eren's tail tightened around his wrist, bones cracking in protest. They were not broken, but there would be a bruise there, black and blue, a threat that remained long after Eren had left this room. He pushed his bare foot down hard on the commanders wrist, pressing his knee into his chest until he huffed out a ragged breath.

"He is not yours to give. You are the one who has hurt Levi the most. I need to thank you for that. For being so fucking stupid. But Levi-" That tail tightened further, and Erwin could not bite back the grunt that came out of his throat. "Is my _mate._ I've waited for him for centuries, lived thousands of years without him by my side. If you think I will let you keep me from him, you are even stupider than I thought." Eren flashed himself invisible again, releasing Erwin and waiting as he leapt to his feet. He reappeared in Erwin's bed, breathing in the scent on a pillow. _Petra's pillow._ It was a threat as well, unspoken and potent. _This is where your woman sleeps, this is her scent in my nose. I can find her, even if you cannot._ Eren would never hurt an innocent woman, would die trying to protect one if he had to, but this fuckwit did not know that.

"You will only see me-" He disappeared again, and when he reappeared his voice was right in Erwin's ear. "If I want you to see me. Will only hear me-" Went invisible again to show back up crouched on the dresser. "If I decide to let you." He flashed into nothingness again, but this time he was standing right in front of the scout master when he reappeared. "I do not want to hurt you, do not want to do anything that would cause Levi harm. But I will not be separated from him. I will be your people's ally, keep them safe in any way I can. But you? If you mean to take my Levi from me?" Eren's eyes glowed with ethereal green light, and when he spoke it was with two voices, one of a human, the other the growl of a beast. "I will kill you slowly, and I will feel no regret."

Eren disappeared, and when he walked back to his mate, there was a smile on his face.


	8. Scouts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of my readers drew some awesome fanart of Demon!Eren, and I tried to imbed it here but ehh, let's say that's not working out for me. You need to go check it out, though, it's beautiful and it's pretty cool that the horns are almost exactly like I imagine them, even though I haven't described them in any specific detail in the story. Thank you again, it's the first fanart anyone has ever done related to one of my stories and I am fangirling wildly.
> 
>  
> 
> [Demon Eren by white_youkai ](http://whiteyoukai.tumblr.com/post/116014201131/demon-eren-doodle-it-was-inspired-by-an-ereri)

 

Levi's life was falling apart around him, pieces coming back together in shapes and forms he did not recognize.  

The scout rode towards the cathedral, the south gate scout headquarters, feeling more exhausted than he had in years.  It had been beautiful before the fall, Levi was sure, but the only thing that made it even remotely resemble a church was the outer facade.  Inside it was unrecognizable other than the stained glass windows that let soft rainbow light shine down from high above.  The cross that had perched atop the steeple had been burned for firewood long ago, by people who needed heat more than they needed a tribute to the god that watched with ambivalence as they were consumed.  The inner space had been so thoroughly repurposed for its use as housing for the scouts stationed at the wall, you would think it had been built just for that purpose once you entered.  Being in the inner portion of the village made Levi twitchy, no matter how much time he spent there, and he did not know if he would ever be able to live within the inner wall.  How was he supposed to be chieftain, lead Mitras, when even living in the Hall was a struggle he would have to overcome?  When the barracks and stables came into view, he felt relief flow through him.  Home.  This was home to Levi.  Would always be.  

 

The ride back out was not as tedious as it usually was, mostly due to the view.  Eren ran in front of Jiyuu, and the scout could almost feel the horses glee as she raced after him.  Stupid fucking horse liked this demon better than her master.  She had been stomping and huffing before they took off, ready to cut loose and run.  Now the scout watched as Eren weaved back and forth in a zig zag pattern in front of the horse as he moved, allowing her to keep up while still moving so much faster.  Levi was impressed that the yokai could move so quickly even with belts and blades strapped in.  The gear didn't slow him in the slightest, as it would anyone else.  Once, he'd disturbed a group of birds foraging in the high weeds, and as they shot up around him in fright, soaring into the air, he'd laughed and spun around to watch them, jumping into the air to an impressive height, swatting playfully at them.  After so long in darkness, he found wonder in everything.  The joy in his face was pure, unadulterated, child like.  Levi wondered if he'd ever felt happiness like that in his entire life. 

As a child Levi lived with his mother until she passed away, and after that he had fended for himself in the slums of the city nearby before Leven had sent Erwin to find his son.  There had been no joy to be found in the squalor and filth of those cramped and decrepit streets, that was certain.  If the scout had not looked so much like his father, he would probably be there still.  Eating food out of the trash and sleeping in alleyways with Isabel and Farlan, hiding from street thugs and wondering even at such a young age if death might not be better than his miserable life.  Without those two, he would certainly have killed himself rather than claw his way through each day, hungry and weak and pathetic.

Then Erwin had  shown up, only a teenager himself, larger than life and telling Levi that he was _someone._   Not just a street brat, but third in line to the seat of chieftain of Mitras.  People had been looking for him for years to bring him back to his father, watch over him.  Levi had been furious.  Where was his father when his mother had been beaten by pimps, starving and wretched, forgotten in the dark corners of the city?  Where was he when Levi had been gutted by a blade in the night, only nine years old and holding his flesh together while his friends carried him to one of the livestock veterinarians and begged them to stitch him up?  They had given him their shoes in payment, and when Erwin showed up not two months later, they were all barefoot with their feet bleeding, Levi's scar still aching when he slept.  When he had needed protection, only Isabel and Farlan had been there, hungry and dirty but at Levi's back.  Levi didn't want the help of some chieftain in a far away village who had left his mother  
behind.

It was only when Erwin said that he would take all three of them back with him to Mitras that Levi had agreed to go.  Even if he did not want to accept charity, he could not let his friends live in poverty if he could pull them out somehow.  So they had gone outside the walls of the city that they had been born in, and for the first time they had watched the sunrise over the horizon instead of peeking its way over the walls.  Levi was breathless, eyes full of tears and wonder as it climbed the tree line, hands finding Isabel and Farlan's, clinging to them without thought.  He had never felt such awe again, not until he watched a boy yokai take form on a bloody stone altar, naked magnificent in the night.  The trio had reached Mitras, and it had felt too good to be true.  A warm place to sleep with clothes on their backs and shoes to wear, all without them doing a thing.   They did not expect it to last.

Erwin and Leven had sent them to school, housed them in the Inner Hall close to Levi's father, until they had gotten restless and agitated.  Levi and Farlan had gotten in fight after fight, and Isabel continually found her way into their room to sleep with the pair instead of in her own bed.  Used to scraping by for a living, running and fighting and struggling together for everything they had, such an existence was intolerable.  Leven wanted them to keep at it, keep studying, live in the Hall in safety and luxury.  They would get used to it, he said, but Erwin disagreed.  Much to the dismay of the commanders and Levi's uncle, he had moved them into his barracks thrown them into scout training.  At night, Erwin tutored them in their school subjects, awake past midnight going over English and science until he was nodding right along with them, but during the day he and his scouts put them through hell on earth.  And they _loved_ it.  Levi and Isabel and Farlan crawled into their bunks each night cut and bruised and sore, muscles screaming from climbing and swinging swords that were far too big for them to be using, smiles on their faces as they fell into sleep.  Erwin treated them all well, and his men did not take it easy on the children, but the scout master was harder on Levi than anyone else under his command.  He pulled no punches, gave Levi no quarter.  The little scout, more than anyone, felt the sting of the flat of Erwin's blade when he erred in his footwork, felt the weight of his fists when he missed a block, tasted the dirt when he misread his movements in a fight.  Year after year he trained Levi without mercy, and somewhere in between the sounds of Erwin's steel and the ache of his blows, Levi had fallen in love.

Now his friends were dead, devoured by yokai in the darkness as he watched, and his master had felt the bite of Levi's blade on his throat for threatening a demon that the scout had called out from blood and night.  One that looked just like those who he had watched rip so many of his men to pieces, eat their flesh, gnash their bones.  _Well, not just like them._   Even Levi had to admit that his yokai was beautiful.  As he watched him move across the earth like liquid, sliding through the grass, hair wild in the breeze as he chased after birds and played with Levi's horse, it was harder to see him as one of the beasts the scout battled each day.  Levi knew he was different, could feel it inside, but making Erwin or anyone else see that would be a challenge.  

 _Oh, so you want them to accept your demon now.  You've fucking lost it._   Levi made an exasperated sound at himself as he slowed Jiyuu to a trot, dismounting and handing her reins off to a cadet outside the stables.  The scout greeted Levi with a nod as he tugged an uncooperative Jiyuu inside.  Eren was not even breathing very hard when he fell into step beside him, making their way towards the cathedral.

 _So you're in charge of the men here._   It was not a question.

_Yes.  There's a scout captain at each gate, plus Hange who rotates from place to place to check out any deviants they might encounter, or capture yokai to study.  The south gate is mine._

_You say that possessively._

_It's the most dangerous territory, with more yokai around.  It's less boring._   Eren laughed.  Of course Levi wanted the most demon infested area to scout.  The yokai was not surprised.

_You're a feisty one._

_And you're a fucking idiot._   Eren laughed again as Levi opened the door and entered the cathedral, which opened into a large room that served as the mess hall and living area.  There were a handful of scouts sitting at a long table, talking and rough housing.  These were his mate's men, his soldiers, and Eren studied them carefully.

"Oi, you stupid brats!  Why is it such a fucking wreck in here?"  The yokai glanced around dubiously.  It seemed almost spotless, really.  The scouts looked up in a panic, taking in Levi with guilty expressions.

"Captain Levi, sir.  We'll get it cleaned up."  A few of the scouts got up, one of them getting a broom while others were wiping down tables and picking up bowls.

"Squad Leader Blouse!"  Sasha stood up at attention, a bowl of food still in front of her though no one else was eating.

"Yes, Captain."

"Why are still shoveling food into your face, Squad Leader?"

"Ah, I was hungry, sir."

"There better be two dinner rations in my office in thirty seconds."

"Yes, Captain."  She rushed off to discard her second helping of dinner and get food ready for Levi.

"Squad Leader Reiss!"

"Tea, Captain?"  She knew her captain well enough to know that she'd better get him some goddamned tea ready, and right now.  It was really a job for the cadets, but their tea tasted like shit, or so he said.  So Historia ended up as the resident tea maker, at least when the captain was around, and though it irked her she did not complain.

"If you know already why are you standing there like an idiot?"

"Ah, right.  Sorry, Captain."  Historia headed into the kitchen quickly to escape the captain's ire.

"Who's on patrol right now?"

"Squad Ymir."

"Who's on the wall?"

"Equine Squad."  Levi had to laugh to himself.  _Equine Squad._   Levi knew what time it was, knew damn well who was on patrol and who was on the wall, but it did these stupid brats some good to keep themselves aware of when their next patrol was.  The captain walked over to the entrance to the bunkhouse where the scouts slept, glancing around before heading to the opposite side and taking in the state of the other one.

"Someone get Squad Leader Kirstein down here so I can yell at him, please."

"Yes, sir."  One of the cadets was on the move, heading outside to call Jean down from the wall.

_You have them all scurrying around like little mice._

_It's good for them.  They slack off when I leave.  Gotta keep them on their toes._

_I think you just like harassing them._   Levi smirked as crossed his arms, leaning against the wall next to the bunkhouse entrance.

 _There's that, too._   After they cleaned up and got themselves in line, Levi would ease off like he always did.  Until the barracks were cleaned up, however, his men would be miserable, and they damn well knew it.  They could have just kept everything tidy until he got back, but they never did, so the captain was starting to think they liked the abuse. The cathedral's doors open and Jean came in, looking serious.  When he saw Levi, he sighed heavily.

"I thought it was something serious.."  The cadet who had fetched him just smiled evilly.

"Oh, so it's not serious when your captain summons you, Squad Leader?"  Jean shrugged at Levi's words.

"That depends on what you called me off the wall for."  Kirstein was was a smart ass, and Levi loved to fuck with him.

"I told you to have these barracks clean when I got back or you'd be cleaning up the stables instead of the cadets, did I fucking not?"  Jean rolled his eyes, arms crossing over his chest.

"You did, indeed, Captain Levi."  There was some extra emphasis on the 'captain'.

"Do I sense sarcasm?"

"You do."  Levi smacked him in the back of the head.

"Go clean up your fucking bunkhouse, you filthy shit.  It smells like a barn in there."  Jean sighed again, looking up at the ceiling as though asking the stained glass saints above for patience. 

"Now, Kirstein."  

As the squad leader headed to clean up, Levi went into his office, yokai following close behind.  He saw that Sasha had been in here already, and there were two bowls of soup on his desk with a couple of pieces of bread and some apples.  The scout unfastened his sword belt, hanging them on a hook by the door before collapsing into the chair behind his desk.  Eren perched on the desk, eyes taking in the office, sniffing, studying.  Levi shoved a bowl at him, along with an apple and one of the hunks of bread.  The yokai looked at him curiously.

 _You eat, right?  I'm assuming?_   Eren felt his chest squeeze and felt ridiculous.  Levi was giving him food.  It should not be a big deal, but he found himself smiling, insides twisting with emotion.

_Thank you.  Yes, when I am not with my Lady or in the nightlands, I eat._

They both ate in silence, and about halfway through the meal Historia came in to set down some tea.  Eren was sitting on the desk, and Levi watched warily as Historia approached with the tray.  Normally she would put it right where the yokai was sitting, but this time she set it on the opposite side, brow furrowed slightly.

"Thank you, Historia."

"No problem, Captain."  She went out without a word, rubbing at her temple.   Levi watched her go with worry as he took a drink of tea, made perfectly.  He would never tell his scout, but it tasted better when she prepared it than when he did.

 _Is it going to fuck with their heads, sensing you somehow but not seeing you?_   Eren took a bite of his bread, chewing, thinking.

_Only at first.  They'll get used to it, it won't hurt them._

_You sure?  I don't want you breaking my brats tiny little brains.  They barely work as it is._   Eren laughed out loud, head thrown back, and Levi never wanted him to stop.

_They'll be fine, Levi.  I swear it._

Eren finished his food first, not realizing just how hungry he was.  It had been so long since he felt hunger, he had not recognized the pangs in his gut as a need for food.  When Levi was done, he took the utensils and put them in the kitchen, leaving the tea for one of his cadets to clean up.  He was dead on his feet.  Sleeping on the ground in the woods, riding in and out of the village, dealing with his father and Annie as well as the ugly scene with his scout master.... Levi could've fallen asleep standing up.  When he went into his room and closed the door there was already a lamp burning, and he took off his boots, snatching a loose fitting shirt and pants out of his closet.  Levi changed his clothes without thinking before turning around and seeing Eren, backed into a wall with his fists clenched on his knees, breathing ragged,  jaw tight, eyes glittering.  The scout felt his brow tighten in worry, wondering what was wrong with his yokai.  He spoke in a low voice.

"You okay?"  Levi took a step towards him before Eren held up his hand, palm flat.  

"Stay.. stay over there for a second."  Levi went back to his closet to get clothes for the demon to sleep in.  It probably didn't matter, but he couldn't imagine resting well in a scouting uniform.  He watched Eren curiously as he did so.

"What's wrong with you?"  Eren shut his eyes tight as his breathing slowly started to even out.  He bit out his words between gasps.

"You can't just... take off your clothes in front of me... like that, Levi."  The scout's eyes went wide in realization.

"O-oh.  Ah, sorry, I guess.  I didn't think it would bother you."  Eren stood up, leaning against the wall with his hands loose at his sides now, eyes still closed.

"It does.  In all the best ways.  Fuck, Levi, don't let anyone see you  that way."

"Why not?  Most of the scouts here have already.  It makes no difference."  Those slitted eyes opened, looking at Levi with a heat that made him feel tight and achy all over.

"Don't let them look at you like that.  It's only for me."  The captain tried to fight it, but it was futile.  He shuddered at those dark words, all the way down to his bones.

"Okay."  _Okay?  What do you mean okay?_ "Shitty yokai bastard."  

Eren smiled, but it was weak, like he was forcing it through sharp agony.  Levi threw the clothes at him, turning around so the demon could change without his eyes on him.  He didn't want to admit it, but Levi wanted to watch, too.  Instead he pulled down his blankets and crawled into bed, hands behind his head as he sat up on his pillows.  When the yokai was done changing he sat at the foot of the bed. Eren looked so young wearing pajamas, yet still so delicious, that all the scout could do was stare and feel like a predator as he ate him up with his gaze.  The yokai did not say anything, just stared right back at Levi as though he had some kind of answer for the questions in those green eyes.

"We'll go to the ruins in the morning, summon your friends.  So long as they won't endanger my men."

"The summoner is the master, the summoned the slave.  It is not absolute but they will listen to me."

"They'd better."  Eren just smiled as Levi turned out the lamp and rolled to his side.  There were a thousand things they needed to discuss, but Levi felt his eyelids growing heavier by the second. It would have to wait until morning. He felt the yokai's weight leave the bed and heard a rustling on the floor.    It took Levi  a minute to realize he was planning to spend the night there. He lay in the dark for a long time, willing himself to sleep, but that ache in his chest would not allow it.

"Oi, stupid yokai. What are you doing down there?" Eren's voice was uncertain in the darkness.

"S-sleeping?"

"You were a good dog today."

There was a long pause, the sound of the demon's breathing punctuating the silence. Then without another word Eren crawled into Levi's bed, curling into the space behind his knees like a cat. Levi felt the demon's hands ease under the blankets and tug them back, arms clutching desperately at the scout's legs. The captain felt his breath on his flesh as Eren lay his head on top of his bare feet. The scout could swear he nuzzled them. Eren's tail twitched near Levi's face, tickling his neck with the fuzzy tip. Levi snatched it up without thinking, stilling those those lazy swipes of his throat. He did not release it, but ran his fingers over the fur there. _Soft._ It was much softer than he'd anticipated. Levi began to feel embarrassed, playing with the yokai's tail like he was, but he did not want to let go.

"Keep your stupid tail out of my face." Levi could feel the demon smile, even in the dark.

"I will try. Thank you, Levi."

"Shut up, Eren. Go to sleep."

The demon's hands clung tighter at the sound of his name, and Levi was breaking inside. Eren was warm up against him, and that weight pressing down on his legs felt right, like Levi had slept with a yokai at his feet since the day he was born. It was too comfortable, too perfect, and though he hadn't even gone to sleep, Levi knew he would never rest as well again without Eren pressing into him, breath on his skin, hands clutched tight. The scout took a shuddering breath, fingers still threading through the soft fur of that long tail. 

They did not still until Levi was lost in sleep.


	9. Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello reader minions. White_youkai drew me some more amazing fanart, which I think you should go check out, because it's great. I cannot thank you enough for your work, artist-chan. There is a pic of playful Demon!Eren, and another of Eren and Levi in bed. 
> 
>  
> 
> [Playful Eren by white_youkai ](http://whiteyoukai.tumblr.com/image/116284766811)  
> [Demon Eren x Levi by white_youkai ](http://whiteyoukai.tumblr.com/image/116314272106)

Eren felt warmth radiating through him. He had not truly slept in centuries, and it took him awhile to realize that this fuzzy euphoric feeling was waking up. _Next to your mate._ Those drowsy slitted eyes shot open, looking up to take in Levi's face. Eren had shifted in the night at some point, and now his arms were wrapped tight around the scouts waist, face pressed up against Levi's chest. He could feel the thudding of his heartbeat as he drank in the sight of mate resting above him. Levi's pink lips were parted just slightly, breath coming in even pants, one hand curled up by his cheek. Eren felt the other buried in his hair, knuckles just barely resting along one of his horns, and he had to fight back a shudder at even that small contact. If Levi ever decided to close those fine hands around them? Eren would finish then and there. There would be no stopping it. The yokai had to push down lust filled thoughts with a groan as he stared. Black strands fell over the scouts eyes, and Eren wanted to brush them away, but he did not want to wake him. The captain was twisted up in the bedding, sheets and blankets a mess around his legs, feet still hanging out the bottom. The demon had smelled his mate before, but not like this. He'd never had that dark scent wrapped around him, lingering on his flesh, filling him up until he thought he might burst. Levi was _everywhere,_ against his skin and under his hands and in his nose. Eren was never letting him go. He was lost in his reverie when his nose started to twitch, and he realized why he had woken up in the first place. _Erwin._

That bastard was here, heading towards Levi's room. Eren could scent him walking down the hall, and he felt himself baring his teeth again. The scout master could not even let his mate rest? He had to come wake him just to try and separate them? So impatient to take Levi away. The thought of this man coming into Levi's bed room in the quiet of the morning, hands warm and familiar against his Levi's skin, reaching out to shake him from his dreams without a second thought... It infuriated him down to his marrow, bones and blood and teeth all aching to tear him apart. Eren crawled up the bed to ease under the sheet next to Levi and leaned against the headboard, smiling when the scout clutched at him even in sleep, arm going around Eren's waist. Levi sighed, shoving his face into Eren's side and mumbling incoherently. The yokai buried his hand in Levi's hair, tail curling around his mate's back as he cocked up the knee furthest from him, resting his elbow on it. The yokai could scent that there was no one with the scout master, who might be confused if Erwin decided to react badly to a phantom only he could see at the moment. So when he threw open the door and stepped inside, Eren flashed himself into being, holding a finger up to his lips with a smile. He spoke in a hushed tone.

"Shhhhh. My little mate is sleeping. If you disturb him, you'll never wake again." Eren's eyes sparked with anticipation, and in that moment he wanted the scout master to fight. Fly at him in a rage, strike out with his fists. His claws itched to tear into that flesh, teeth hungry in his jaws. Erwin looked at Levi like he was betraying in some basic way, arms wrapped around a demon, fingers clinging tight. Eren's hand sifting through his hair, the two pressed together underneath the bedding. The scout master's face grew dark with anger, hands fisting at his sides. 

"I don't understand what you want from him." He kept his voice low, and Eren was almost disappointed. He'd had his heart set on evisceration.

"I don't want anything from him. I just want him. " Eren smiled, and it was all teeth and no joy. "But you wouldn't be able to wrap your head around that would you? _Scout Master._ " Levi began to stir, mumbling again, and Eren felt his chest swell inside. His mate talked in his sleep, and he could not wait to lie awake beside him in the velvet night and listen to the whispers of his dreams. The scout spoke, words quiet but intelligible, and both the yokai and Erwin cocked their heads to listen.

"Don't..." Eren's brow furrowed, hand threading through those soft raven locks. He sounded afraid, like it was not a dream he was having but a nightmare. The scout muttered again, a mess of vowels and no real words. Levi's hands twitched, tightening in Eren's clothes. "Erwin... don't hurt him... 's mmmine...." Eren let out a harsh breath, tracing his hand down Levi's face as his blood sang in his veins. The smile on his face was not meant for the blonde, but he couldn't manage to clear it as he turned to meet his gaze.

"I think it's best if you wait with Levi's men until he wakes. I'd hate to wake him with your screams." Erwin scowled, looking around the room as if it held some sort of solution. The commander in him rose up unbidden, and his next words sounded ridiculous even to his own ears.

"He should've been up hours ago. His men are too afraid to come in here and wake him." The yokai only had eyes for Levi, fingers tracing the curve of his throat, the line of his jaw, the shape of his lips. He heard a popping noise, and whether it was Erwin's teeth grinding or the bones of his hands protesting those tight fists, Eren could not say. 

"Then he must be very tired." Slitted green eyes sparked at the scout master, a fire inside that had burned for thousands of years. Waiting for the day when they could gaze upon their mate. Blazing bright, just for Levi. "Get the fuck out. There's nothing for you here."

Eren was surprised when Erwin turned and walked out, closing the door behind him with a soft click. It was a few long moments before his feet carried him down the hall, and he could tell from the sound that the commander had entered his scouts office. Levi would probably be furious when he finally climbed out of the depths of sleep and find himself curled up in Eren's arms, but the yokai could not find it in himself to care. He lay down next to his mate, and when Levi's arms shifted up around his back, face nuzzling into Eren's chest with a contented sigh.... There was no air to breathe. There was only Levi.

And that was more than enough.

.......................................................

Levi felt long fingers running through his hair, and his first thought was that he was dreaming of his mother. No one but her had ever sifted their hands through it this way. It had been so long since he'd felt such raw affection, since she had died over two decades ago probably. Isabel and Farlan had been close to Levi, but they were not overly physical with each other. Not like this. Levi realized how starved he was for touch, seeking it out in his dreams from the only person who had ever readily given it. The scout sighed, pushing his head up into that hand, craving the contact. He needed it like he needed air, a drowning man under the water for years, breaking the surface with a gasp after all this time. Then Levi noticed how warm he was, how real those fingers felt, a fresh scent filling up his nose.

_Eren._

Levi blinked his eyes open, mind still foggy with sleep. He was greeted with a shining peridot stare locked with his own, horns catching his gaze above. It took the scout a moment to become aware of the fact that his arms were clinging to the yokai, clutching tight to his back while the demon caressed his dark strands, smile on his face, full of some unknowable emotion. Eren's other hand reached out to trace down Levi's jaw, lingering near his mouth before thumbing over his lips. Levi pulled his hands away, curling them into his own chest as he felt his face heat crimson. He needed to get this yokai's hands off him, out of his hair, away from his mouth, but he could not move. Eren spoke in a low whisper, as though someone besides them could hear it. There was something intimate about it, in a way that even being coiled around one another in bed was not.

"Hello, love." Levi was frozen, unable to speak or blink or move. It was way too early to deal with this. His brain was not working right, could not summon the right acid filled words with which to strike out at this demon boy. Finally his brain just stuttered out a response automatically.

"G-good morning." _Fuck, you're so stupid, Levi._ The yokai had not moved his fingertips, and Levi felt them on his lips as he spoke.

"I hate to say this, but if I don't you'll probably be angry with me. I think you've overslept a bit dramatically, if the cadets outside your room whispering periodically are anything to go by. And you're _commander_ is here." Levi cringed, pressing his face into Eren's chest, hiding. From Erwin and his life and himself. Just for a moment. When he pulled back he would shove his yokai away. Insult him in some meaningless way that the demon knew he didn't mean, but Levi would say the words anyway. A pointless exercise in futility that he could not bring himself to escape, even as he realized how useless it was. Then he would get dressed, and face Erwin, and ride out into the woods to summon yokai. Try to stop his enemies from taking their village. Try to keep his people from dying at the hands of both monsters and men, though sometimes there was no difference between the two. Levi would bear the weight of his burdens without complaint, and do everything he could to save lives and do his job well. Everyone expected the world from Levi, and he would give it to them. Later.

Right now he leaned into Eren, hands fisting in his shirt, eyes wrenched shut as he breathed his scent in deep. 

 

......................................................

After being scolded by Levi, though for what specifically he was not sure, Eren dressed in his stolen uniform as the scout changed in the bathroom and they readied themselves for the trip into the forest. The yokai followed Levi into his office to find Erwin sitting at his desk with papers spread out in front of him, glancing around behind his subordinate with a scowl. Looking for Eren, obviously, but the demon did not reveal himself. It was too much fun to watch him squirm, wondering where the yokai was, what he was doing. Levi shut the door behind them and stood across from the scout master with his arms crossed, a bored expression on his face. Erwin sighed heavily, throwing the pages he was holding down.

"Is he in here?" 

"Tch! What did you come here to say, Erwin? Let's get this done with so I can get to work." The commander looked displeased, like the words in his throat tasted sour.

"The scouts along the east wall have seen signs on their patrol of people in the woods. Tracks. Marks in the trees that look like people using scout gear." Levi was not surprised, but he felt himself get apprehensive. The threat was more real now, somehow, that his men were seeing evidence of it. Dark and malignant and waiting in the branches. It was not that he had not believed the yokai, but that he did not want it to be true.

"What else?"

"I've brought half of the scouts out of reserve from the village. Sent half of those to the east gate, half to the west. The scouts at the school on the west side have been reporting larger than normal numbers of yokai in the outer reaches of their patrols. Headed out instead of in." Horde behavior. Once a large enough number of yokai had gathered nearby, all the demons in the area began to flock towards it, causing it to swell in number. When scouts found yokai further from the village, moving away from it instead of towards it, it was a red flag. Mike was captain at the west gate, and he was surely already preparing for a horde's arrival, but would not be able to tell how big it was until it came into scouting range. Eren was standing next to Levi as his mate talked with scout master. His body was quivering with barely leashed agression as he curled his long tail around Levi's leg. The scout tried to ignore it, did not want to call Erwin's attention to the fact that his yokai was there.

"Do you believe me now?" Erwin rubbed his temples as he rose from his chair to walk around the front of the desk and lean against it.

"I talked to Pixis and your father, said we had intel from an informant. Told him what might be happening but didn't mention you or your fucking demon. They're watching the Trost envoy closely, and the west gate is under a quarantine order. No mounted scouts through the gate. Doors on lockdown. Scouts are gearing in and out."

"That shortens their range quite a bit. We won't see the horde until it comes into the vicinity of their unmounted patrols."

"We're assuming at least two hundred. They're getting ready. Archers, siege equipment. We can't open and close those gates. There could be someone inside the scouts there. We can't have them sabotaging the entry." Erwin was silent for a long time, running his hand through his hair.

"Is that it?"

"What are you doing, Levi? That yokai, he's dangerous. It seems like he's helping, but there's no way to know what his motivations are. He's a demon. It doesn't matter if he talks or tries to help, even if he is truly our ally. He is still a yokai. You need to stay away from him." Eren wanted to call himself back into being, growl at the scout master, make him suffer, but he did not. Levi would have to address this with him sooner or later, and the yokai wanted to know what he would say.

"Erwin, I have known you a long time. You pulled me out of hell, made me into something, into someone. I'm grateful for that, and there is nothing that I can do to repay what you've given me in life. We have been through a lot together. But me and that yokai? It is none of your concern. Will never be. No matter what you say or what you do, it will not change anything. You need to let it go. We have more important things to worry about right now, and I will not sit here and waste time with you when we could be out there preparing for what is coming for us."

"He can't be what you need him to, Levi."

"You don't know what I need, Erwin."

"He's a a monster." Levi smiled, and it was the smile of something peeking out of shadows in the night.

"So am I."

 

.........................................................................

 

Levi rode his horse out to the ruins at Eren's insistence, though they could've made it on foot within a reasonable amount of time. The soft morning light filtered down through the trees, birds singing in the sky, and it was a wonder that such a beautiful day could feel so ominous. It felt like deceit, nature lulling them into carelessness as she prepared to devour them whole. When they reached the ancient stones, Levi dismounted and let Jiyuu graze nearby. The horses of the scout regiment were well trained, and you did not tie them off. They would stay nearby without fail, but the mounts were more useful to the men if they could move about freely in case of the unexpected. A horse tied to a tree did no good if you were running from yokai and could not reach it. So they let her roam, but she followed Eren around like a puppy, nosing into his back and nipping at the grass and leaves at his bare feet. When Levi made an exasperated sound, the horse looked at him with an almost disdainful expression before wandering away.

"Stupid fucking horse." Eren smirked.

"I like her."

"I bet you do. Idiots tend to get along. Let's get this done." The yokai just shook his head, walking over to the stones with his mate.

"I need some of your blood for this. You summoned me, and so before I can summon other demons, I need your blood, freely given. It's like asking for your permission. I'll take your blood, and my blood, and pour it on the altar. Say the summoning spell to call out two of Izanami's shrine demons, my friends specifically. I'll have a few minutes after they appear to talk to them, but after that I'm going to be down for the count." Levi's brow furrowed.

"What do you mean?"

"I just came from the nightlands, and..." He trailed off, choosing his words carefully. Too carefully for Levi's liking. The scout wanted to pull the thoughts from his mind, spread them out before him like a book and pore over them. "I am not as strong yet as I could be. If I was going to summon one, I would be a little weak, but it would be bearable. I could make it back inside your walls and sleep. But summoning two, especially the pair I want to summon, will wipe me out. I will instruct them, and tell them to listen to you. You'll have to put me on your horse and keep me in the saddle until you get back. Then you can dump me off in a horse stall or something, it doesn't matter. No one will see me even as I sleep." Levi did not like this at all, but could not find any words to protest. They needed the help of these yokai, and they needed it as soon as possible.

"How long will you be out?" Eren shrugged, hand ruffling through his hair, looking so young it hurt Levi's chest. His eyes were lit with uncertainty.

"I don't really know. No more than half a day, I would say. I will be back up before the horde or the Trostians attack, if their envoy had accurate information."

"This sounds like an increasingly shitty idea." The yokai smiled, face dancing with mischief. 

"Don't want me to sleep? Will you miss me?" _Yes._ He did not know if the yokai could hear his answer, but he bit down on it before it could pass his lips.

"Not fucking likely. I just don't want to have to drag your ass all the way back to the village. You look heavy as hell." Eren sighed. His mate was difficult and complicated and contradictory, making him run in strange circles in his mind. That was okay. He would run as long as he had to. "Will these yokai be naked like you? I'm not really up for dealing with a bunch of demon ass, at the moment." Eren laughed.

"No. It doesn't matter what they are wearing in the shrine, when I summon Izanami's demons they will be dressed in ceremonial robes."

"Thank God." The yokai started to look guilty, like there was a catch. Levi waited anxiously, nervous somehow.

"The blood has to come from a bite. My bite." Levi blinked at that, looking at Eren suspiciously.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. Where do you want me to bite you?"

"Nowhere, you bastard."

"Somewhere that you can hide easily, I'm assuming. Your shoulder would suffice." 

Levi rolled his eyes with a sigh, tugging his uniform down hard to expose his neck and shoulder to the yokai. Eren stepped in close and his hands went to Levi's biceps, running up and down them as he stared into those sharp gray eyes, a hint of blue in them, the sky shining in the ocean. Levi felt himself grow tight under that gaze, and suddenly it was harder to breathe, air coming faster into his lungs. They were about to summon two demons, fight a war, face a horde, and all Levi could think was, _Eren's mouth will be on my skin._ The yokai ran his fingers over the skin of his shoulder, not quite to the curve of his throat.

"This will hurt. I'm sorry." Levi licked his lips, unable to look away from that hot slitted stare.

"It's fine. Just do it."

Eren leaned down to Levi's neck, mouth hovering over his skin, and just as the scout braced for the sharp sting of teeth he felt the yokai's tongue lap over his flesh, warm and wet and enticing. There was a protest somewhere inside him, but it was lost within, words unable to find their way from his brain to his lips. Eren sucked at the flesh, laving and licking as he pulled Levi in tight against him. The scout let himself be pulled, arms reaching down around the yokai's waist, hands clinging to the fabric of his shirt. When the demon was sure his mate would be bruised under his kiss, he sank his teeth in deep, tasting sweet blood, heavy with tones of arousal. Levi moaned under his bite, hand reaching up to bury itself in the back of Eren's hair. _So soft._ He had been wanting to touch those messy strands, wanted to feel them under his fingers. They were silky and perfect, and he never wanted to let go of them, wanted to stay lost in this yokai forever. When Eren pulled back Levi was panting, cheeks flushed, eyes glazed over with desire, still clutching him tight. The yokai ran his fingers through the blood that oozed from the wound he had made, and Levi shuddered in need at the sensation. It was instinct on its most basic level for the mate of a demon to draw pleasure from his bite. Eren lifted his hand to his mouth, licking up some of the red liquid as it dripped down his palm. His scout let out a ragged breath at the sight, brow furrowed with want, and the yokai smiled.

"I promise we can continue this when I wake, little mate." Levi blinked, coming back to himself in a rush as he shoved Eren backwards. 

"The fuck we will." 

The scout's voice was shredded and low, too breathy for the words that came with it. Eren did not respond, just walked over to the altar with a smirk and dripped Levi's blood across it. He looked at the dark haired scout as he sucked the remaining fluid off his fingers, closing his eyes at that delicious taste. When his hand was licked clean he bit into it, blood dripping down his chin as he added his own blood to the altar. Words began to pour out of his mouth, lilting, more like a song than a chant. It was in a language that Levi did not recognize, but coming out in that sultry voice, it sounded beautiful. The words came faster, tone going high and low and high again, weaving in front of Eren in an almost tangible way. Levi could almost see them twisting in the air around him. The blood on the altar began to sizzle, smoke erupting from the stone to roil and quake, just as it had before Eren had appeared. The yokai's voice grew louder, smoke growing thicker, darker, and when Eren shouted out two names light flashed inside as it cleared.

Levi shielded his eyes against the brightness, and when he looked up there were two yokai on the altar, dressed in black yukata with katanas strapped to their sides. The male was on his hands and knees, blonde hair a mess around his horns, one of which was clutched in the fist of the dark haired female who stood before him. She had his head twisted to the side brutally, but the look on his face was one of ecstasy. One of her feet was perched on the male's back, causing it to arch under the pressure. From the way they were positioned, it was fairly obvious the two had been well occupied when they were summoned, and Eren could not help but laugh. The female blinked fast, and as she realized what had happened she scowled. Her voice was full of venom when she spoke, eyes still adjusting to the light.

"Oh, you fucking bastard. This better be something important. I was so close."

"It's nice to see you too, Mikasa."


	10. Demons

When Mikasa and Armin heard Eren's familiar voice, crawling through the centuries they had been apart to pull them through the mist, they both snapped their heads in his direction. When their slitted eyes finally adjusted to light much brighter than they were used to, the two were leaping off the altar into his arms, joy arcing through them, fresh and as vibrant as the blinding sun. 

"EREN!"

Both their voices cried out in unison as the pair of yokai tackled Eren to the ground, hugging him tight. Levi watched them suspiciously, and as those hands clung to his demon, tracing over his face, leaning into his chest... The scout wanted to snatch them away, tell them to get off of him. He had the urge to _hiss_ at them, and he shook himself, trying to get it together. There was no telling how long it had been since these two yokai had seen their friend, and they were just happy to be reunited. Right? They looked like Eren, unearthly and ethereal, but at the same time did not. The horns they had were longer, more curved, a spiral curling around to point back down at the tip, and they shone red in the sunlight instead of black. They had tails but unlike Eren's, which was easily as long as he was tall with a furry tip, these were shorter, barely touching the ground from where they came out of the base of their spines, and the tips were smooth and sleek. The blonde sat up, giving Eren some space, but the dark haired female did not. She was straddled over his hips, and just as she was about to run those horns across Eren's skin a wave of power shot through the air around him, like the shockwave of an explosion with no sound or fire. It had come from his yokai, and the other two eyed him warily, unsure of what to do. The female had staggered backwards, still sitting over his thighs, and she looked at his yokai like he had hurt her somehow. Eren's voice was made of iron, hard and unyielding.

"No scent marking. I told you before. Get off me, Mikasa." The trio climbed to their feet, Armin running his hand down the fabric of Eren's scouting uniform curiously, tugging at the insignia, eying his set of blades and gear. Mikasa rubbed at her chest like it ached, and her brows were furrowed in confusion.

"You summoned us. I thought you'd changed your mind. It's been hundreds of years since you've been in the nightlands, Eren. How long will you wait?" Eren smiled, and it was radiant, holding his hands out to his sides as if to say, _look around you._

"Does this look like the nightlands, Mikasa?" Armin and the female took in their surroundings for the first time, eyes wide, still not noticing Levi standing there. The scout did not like that dark haired girl yokai. Some instinct deep inside him wanted to pull Eren behind him, growl at her, shout out that Eren was his. _Is he though? You keep pushing him away._ Levi frowned, felt it on face, in his chest as he crossed his arms. He hadn't known it was possible to scowl with his entire body, but right now, he was doing it. The little blonde demon grabbed Eren's arm, smiling wide, voice full of excitement.

"Eren! You found your mate!" Only then did their eyes dart around to see Levi there, glaring at them like they were all that was wrong with the world. Armin's smile shifted into an amused smirk, but there was no smile to be seen on the female's face as she took in Levi with malice in her eyes.

"Where is she then, Eren?" The green eyed yokai walked over to Levi, putting an arm gently around his shoulder, as though he might bite. Which, fuck, he might. There was no telling with his scout.

"This is Levi. He's my mate. Levi, this is Mikasa and Armin. I've known them for thousands of years, since I was changed by Izanami." _Changed by Izanami?_ That meant he had once been human. When? How? Levi realized he knew absolutely nothing about this yokai. Eren would surely tell him anything he wanted, but the scout had not asked. _Why haven't I asked?_ Armin came over, bowing to Levi but not dropping his eyes as he greeted him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Levi. I'm glad that Eren finally found you. He'd been waiting for so long." Levi nodded his head at him, mumbling something that might have been an acknowledgement. Mikasa walked over to them, looking at Levi like he was some kind of insect, crawling too close for her liking. She wanted to snatch Eren's arm off of Levi, take her friend to a river and wash his scent clean. All she could smell on him was this filthy human.

"You're fucking kidding me, Eren. This..." She seemed to be struggling for the right word, and failed to find one insulting enough to suit her. "He can't possibly be your mate." Eren growled at her, teeth bared, eyes glinting with fury.

"I've longed to see you two, Mikasa, but you will show my mate respect."

"I will not. He's not worthy. Izanami has erred here. If this is what you've waited so long for, it was not worth the wait. Your time would've been better spent at our Lady's shrine with me." Another wave of energy pulsed out from Eren, and the female went down to her knees in front of him. Levi's yokai reached out and wiped his bloody hand across her face, smearing it with red.

"You are bound. Levi is _mine,_ and I am his, and would have it no other way. You are the summoned. I don't have much time, I'll have to rest, and you will obey him in everything he commands. I don't want it to be like this between us, Mikasa. We are brethren." She did not want to be his _brethren._ Her eyes were gray like Levi's, not quite the same shade. Filled with ashes, no trace of the ocean, and they looked at Levi with blatant hatred. When she spoke her voice was full of knives, sharp and accusatory.

"What do you mean you will have to _rest,_ Eren?" Armin glanced at Levi, looking him over with his brow drawn. Levi did not know what he was looking for, but he fought not to squirm under his gaze. Both the yokai sniffed the air, scenting. Searching. Mikasa's eyes lit on Levi's throat, back to Eren's, and she growled low in her chest. "You have not claimed him. Have not even marked him. What the fuck are you doing Eren?" Eren tugged at his hair, an exasperated sound coming out of his mouth.

"Giving him time. Letting him choose." The female looked at him like he had gone crazy, lips coming up in a snarl.

"You've waited for centuries! For millenia! What do you mean you're giving him time! You don't have time!" Her voice was shooting up louder and louder, a wave rolling up on the beach, and finally as it broke she was screaming. "You're going to kill yourself! He's your fucking mate! He doesn't get to choose!" Eren leaned in close, face inches away with green eyes burning, screaming right back at her in fury.

"YES HE FUCKING DOES!" The power that sang through him this time threw her back into a tree, and she came up coughing and sputtering. Armin even shot a glare at Eren, going over to Mikasa and rubbing his hand on her back. Her hand came up to wipe a trickle of blood from her lip, and she looked at Eren in disbelief. Levi's head was reeling. He did not understand what was happening between them, and he had questions that needed answers, but it would wait until Eren rested. He'd be damned if he asked anything from this female who coveted his yokai and her meek little demon friend. Levi wanted to get Eren away from them and back in his bed to recover, where this girl demon could not eat his yokai up with her eyes.

"We don't have time for this. I called you for a reason. There's a village north of here. West of there, a horde of yokai is coming towards their walls. Mikasa, I need you to go intercept the horde and thin it as much as you can. If you can take them all out, all the better. If not, cull as many as you can until they reach the wall, then fight alongside the men there unseen. Do you understand me?" She shot daggers at Eren with her glare.

"His village? Your _mates?_ I'm to fight for his people, Eren?"

"You're to fight for me, as you have a thousand times. This is no different."

"Tch! Fine. At least I get to kill something." She glanced over at Levi. "My hands are getting itchy with the need for violence." Eren ignored her, turning to Armin.

"There are men in the woods to the east of the village, enemy soldiers doing recon, scouting out the village. I want you to go see how many there are there, what kind of equipment they have, if you can overhear anything they're planning. Then you come find me, or Levi, and tell us what you learn. After you report back, you'll go back out in the woods, and if they start to move towards the village you will alert us." Eren wobbled and went down to his knees, blinking fast, breath erratic. Before Levi knew what he was doing he was crouched down in front of him, hand on his shoulder, eyes full of worry. "Fuck, that's faster than I thought. Levi. Get me on your horse before I'm dead weight." Levi whistled for Jiyuu, and she trotted over, nosing at Eren curiously where he knelt on the ground. Armin stepped forward to help his friend up, and Levi bared his teeth at him. 

"Don't touch him." His words were a hiss, and the blonde yokai smiled, departing to the east with a wave to Mikasa as Levi tugged Eren to his feet. The green eyed yokai put a hand on Levi's shoulder, and with more effort than should've been necessary, climbed onto Jiyuu with a groan. Eren leaned into the horse's mane, wrapping his arms around her neck to steady himself. His eyes were closing on their own, and he struggled to keep them open as he looked at Levi with a drowsy smile.

"Was I a good dog today?" Levi reached out and stroked his hair, feeling sharp emotion lance through him at those soft words.

"Yes. You were." Eren closed his eyes with a sigh, and Levi knew he was out because he started to list to the side. The scout leapt up onto Jiyuu, grabbing onto Eren and leaning him back into his chest to steady him. Levi was about to dig his heels in and head back to the village when the female stepped in front of his mount, looking murderous.

"Eren deserves better than you." Levi tugged his yokai in closer, burying his face in Eren's neck. _His._ He would not let this female have him.

"Better than you too, shitty yokai bitch." She hissed at him, hands curling into claws, and Levi knew she wanted to lash out at him and could not.

"I don't know why he has not marked you, has not claimed you, when he seems to want you so fiercely. He says he wants you to choose, but all he has to do is kiss you and you'll be whimpering and begging underneath his mouth, pleading for him to fuck you. I tell you this for him, and not for you. He will get weaker and weaker until he claims you, and eventually if he doesn't, he will die. Mated yokai cannot live without one another. You are literally killing him with your indecisive bullshit. If he dies because of a useless fuck like you? Even if I have returned to the other side I will feel it, and I will come for you. The last thing you will see will be your heart when I pull it out of your chest. Break Eren's and I will eat yours."

With that she turned and ran into the forest, headed towards the horde of yokai with a smile on her face and a hand on her sword.

 

.............................................................................

Levi dismounted his horse outside the cathedral, grabbing Eren's hands and looping them around his neck from behind, letting him fall onto his back awkwardly. His yokai had to weigh a thousand fucking pounds, and he wondered what he would look like to his men, stooped over and carrying nothing. Levi made no attempt to stable Jiyuu, leaving her to wander. One of the cadets would take care of it, and he had bigger concerns at the moment. Heavier ones, at the very least. As he made his way inside, none of his scouts even looked up at him, and Levi began to think they could not see him at all. He struggled under Eren's weight, opening the door to their barracks and limping along with the demon on his back. It would have been easier to do as he'd said and toss him into a stall in the barn, but Levi could not do that. He wanted Eren in his bed, curled up under his blankets, covered in his scent. The yokai seemed to like the way he smelled, and Levi wanted him to wake up surrounded by it. Needed to watch over him, protect him as he slept. Make sure that fucking yokai bitch did not get near him. Levi's thoughts were a mess, everything that the yokai had said to each other, as well as what they'd said to him, all spinning through his mind in an erratic jumble. After what felt like miles of walking he reached his room, and eased Eren down into his bed with a groan of relief. The scout shoved him to the center of the mattress, about to cover him up with the blankets when he realized he still wore his gear and cursed under his breath.

.  
Eren was not wearing shoes, had not worn any the whole time he had been here, but somehow his feet were clean even after walking miles through the forest. Levi unstrapped his belts, tugging off his scout gear and sheathes. The scout rolled him onto his side to pull them out from underneath, setting them aside where he always stored his own. He moved to pull up the bedding and cringed at the sight of Eren's uniform. Those jackets were uncomfortable as hell, and anytime he'd slept in one, Levi had wanted to claw his skin off. With a sigh of resignation he pulled the yokai's arms out of the sleeves, folding it up and tossing it in his hamper. The pants were tight, but not miserable, and he'd be damned if he was taking Eren's fucking pants off while he slept. His demon was sleeping so hard that Levi felt exhausted just looking at him, and after long moments of hesitation he thought, _fuck it._ There was nothing more he could do to prepare until that little blonde demon returned with some intel, and Hange was nowhere to be seen, so Levi did not have to go outside the walls again. He changed into his pajamas and crawled into bed with Eren, smiling as he thought of how his men would react to see him in his bedclothes in the middle of the day, asleep. They would lose their shit. Think Levi must be dying.

Levi lay on his side, head propped up on his elbow as he stared at his yokai. Mikasa had said Eren would die if he did not claim Levi. Neither of them had specified exactly what _claiming_ was, but it was not hard to figure out. Marking was a little more ambiguous, leaving him to wonder, but claiming... that was fairly clear. Eren had mentioned none of this, and Levi was tempted to think maybe she had been lying, but she obviously wanted his yokai for her own. Why would she tell Levi something that would draw them closer together unless it was true? She did not want Eren to die, even if it meant she could not have him. Why would his demon remain silent about something like this? _'Giving him time. Letting him choose.'_ The female also said that all Eren had to do was kiss him, and Levi would be eager and desperate for his mate. Yet still he did not touch him. Did not kiss him. Did not tell him that without Levi, he could die.

Eren wanted Levi to choose him of his own free will, even if he lost his life in the process. After waiting thousands of years, living in some otherworldly darkness for centuries, and still he did not push. Did not press. Did not take. Levi wanted him to wake up just so he could tell him how stupid he was. Eren's face came back to him, almost lost in unconsciousness on the scout's horse, smiling a sad smile at Levi. _'Was I a good dog today?'_

"You're an idiot, is what you are. Why didn't you tell me any of this?" The scout reached out and brushed his hair from his eyes, and when his hand crossed over Eren's face he heard the yokai breathe in deep. Then Eren turned towards Levi, reaching out for him in his sleep and tugging him close. He buried his face in Levi's hair, hands clinging to his back, tail circling around his waist. Not an inch between them, and even in the fog of exhaustion, he tried to clutch Levi tighter. Then the scout heard Eren's voice in his mind, clawing it's way out of his dreams to drift through Levi's head.

 _Love you, little mate._ The scout did not know if he would hear it, but he replied anyway, mind reaching out to Eren's from that ancient place inside.

 _Sleep well, stupid demon. I'll stay with you until you wake._ Eren sighed, rubbing his face back and forth, and his breathing went deep and even. Levi felt like he was being broken. Defeated. Walls coming down inside him to let this yokai in. Never had it felt so good to be invaded. 

Defeat was sweet, and slow, and wrapped around Levi in sleep.


	11. Dreams

Eren was back in his village, no more than five years old, mother shaking him roughly from sleep with a desperate whisper. Her dark brown locks fell over his face, and if he'd known that was the last chance he'd ever get to feel those silken stands on his check, the ones he'd clenched in his tiny fist time and time again as he drifted off to sleep, he would've paid more attention to the way it smelled, the way it felt, how the moonlight shone in it. He did not know, just blinked sleepily, brows furrowed in confusion.

"Wake up! We have to get to Izanami's shrine!"

"What? What's happening Mama?" Her green eyes shone with fear, but also determination. Eren had seen his eyes look just like that over the centuries, same bright shade of green, refusing to bend, refusing to break. Fierce through her terror, unyielding and made of stone. She hissed her response, jerking Eren up roughly and dragging him through their little hut.

"Yokai. There's hundreds of them. You have to run, baby." As if on cue a feral demon flew past their door, growling as blood oozed down its face, black and glittering in the torchlight. She pressed her son's tiny form back into the wall, and now Eren could hear them all around, screaming and wailing as they ran after their prey.... Wet, obscene noises as they fed on Eren's people. He felt his heart start to stutter in terror, feet bare and frozen into the ground. His mother knelt down and hugged Eren tight, words fast and hot in his ear.

"When I tell you to go, you run. As fast as you can to the shrine. They can't go into our Lady's temple. You don't look back, just keep moving forward. No matter what. You understand?" He didn't. Eren pulled back to look up in her face, an expression there he'd never seen before. He wanted his mother to come with him, thread his little fingers through hers and tug him behind her. Tears filled his eyes, and he felt them streak down his face. His mother looked like she was splitting in two, and Eren's voice was shaking.

"No Mama. Come with me. I can't go alone, I'm afraid." She smiled through her own tears, nodding her head as she gripped his shoulders tight.

"I'll be right behind you. Maybe your father and sister are there already." He saw the lie written across her features, and he knew they were already dead. Pieces of them swallowed down into stomachs that were always empty. Blood just like his own dripping from sharp hungry teeth.

"What if they get me?" Eren watched as fury filled her, crawling up her bones, settling between her jaws.

"They won't get you. I promise." In that moment, he believed her. His mother could keep him safe from anything. Nothing could hurt him when he was by her side. Eren nodded, more afraid than he'd ever been, fighting the urge to sob and crawl into her arms. He could be strong for her. She needed him to. His mother grabbed a long wooden club that rested on hooks near the doorway, as tall as she was, on one end a vicious curved blade. Useful for nothing but killing yokai, and though he did not remember ever seeing her wield it before, as she peeked outside to get ready to run, it looked like it belonged in her hands. She glanced down at Eren, forced a tight smile.

"Are you ready, baby?" No words would come from his throat. It was sealed shut with his terror, so Eren shook his head up and down. Yes. He was ready. Her head ducked outside once more, and his heart sank into his stomach when she spoke.

"Now. Run."

He did. His feet flew across the earth, eyes on the ground, legs carrying him instinctively towards the shrine. Eren had been there so many times he could find it even in his sleep. The night was filled with screams, the gnashing of teeth, the stench of yokai. He was sure each step he took would be his last, that claws would snatch him into the air and rend his form in two. Tiny legs sidestepped broken bodies, splashed through puddles of blood shimmering with firelight, tripped over discarded bones. His mother told him not to look back, but Eren couldn't help it. Glancing over his shoulder as he ran, his mother was right behind him. Covered in crimson yokai blood, blade dripping with gore, and as a demon flew at them she stepped in its path, cleaving its head off in a clean, beautiful strike. Eren did not see a single other person moving or fleeing or breathing. Everyone he had ever known was still and broken, lying in pieces scattered across  
the ground.

Now that they were moving, the beasts nearby were looking up from their meals, leaving them behind for fresh prey. There were dozens of them, chasing after the two with unearthly hunger shining in their eyes, jaws clacking in anticipation. Eren felt the whimper that came from deep in his chest rather than heard it, and it seemed to spur the demons faster. The yokai were so _fast,_ faster than Eren could ever hope to be, but he could see the shrine up ahead as he dragged his gaze forward. _Almost there._ Suddenly a yokai erupted from a doorway just after Eren passed it, and he saw the blur out of the corner of his eye as he turned and watched it smash into his mother, tackling her to the ground. He stopped, turning back, unable to move as she wrestled with it, kicking out her bare feet, hands desperately seeking purchase against skin slick with blood. He had to help her, couldn't watch his mother be devoured.

"MAMA!" Blades of teeth sank into her throat as she struggled with it, and with a mouth full of dark red she shook her head and shouted.

"No, Eren! RUN!"

"No!" Eren began moving towards her before he saw the glint in her eyes, desperate and begging him, saying more than any words could.

"Please, Eren! Listen to me just this once! GO!" Another yokai reached her, jaws closing around her wrist, but she did not scream, did not cry. "GO!"  
Eren turned his back on his mother and ran, hearing the scratch of yokai claws on the dirt chasing after him as he fell up the steps to the shrine. The demon hit the opening where the stairs began like a brick wall, hissing as it's skin began to burn, an invisible barrier he could not cross. Eren turned around, and his mother was buried under a pile of yokai, one pale arm reaching out towards him between their dark forms. He stumbled backwards into the entrance of the shrine, knuckles white and clinging to the door frame as that outstretched hand went limp, was lost inside the frenzy. Eren tried to speak, but a keening wail came out instead. _Mama._ His mother was dead. Everyone was dead. _Everyone but me._

When they had stripped the bodies clean of flesh, hours later, leaving behind pink bones and teeth scattered like dropped coins, they gathered around the shrine. The yokai could see Eren there but could not cross the threshold, and hundreds of them surrounded the wooden structure, an ocean of death spreading out before him. As first they had growled and snapped and clawed, but eventually they went silent, regarding the boy with dead black eyes. Every now and then one let out a shrill whine, a dog begging for the last scrap of meat.  
All he had in life was out there, festering inside these demons, or forgotten under their feet. Faced with this sea of yokai, he could not imagine a life without them, without his people. It would be easier to join them than to live this life, small and broken and alone. Eren began to walk forward. There were so many, he wouldn't feel a thing when he threw himself into their waiting jaws. His body could join theirs inside those bellies, his soul with them in the afterlife. More than he feared death, Eren didn't want to be alone.

Suddenly the yokai were gone, and Eren could feel horns on his little head, tail twirling around short legs. _Wait, this isn't right. That's not how it happened, how this dream goes._ Izanami had done a ritual, changing him into one of her own, but it had been weeks later. The hand that closed over his shoulder was all wrong too, heavy and strong. Not the light and intangible touch of a goddess. Eren turned around and looked up, tears pooling anew in his bright eyes. _Levi._ Levi was here, dressed in his scouting uniform and towering over Eren, gray eyes soft with emotion. It was impossible, he wouldn't be born for thousands of years, but there he stood, undeniable in this shadowy dreamscape. Levi crouched in front of Eren, bringing himself to eye level as he stroked messy brown locks out of that wide stare.

"Shhhhhh, It's okay."

"My mama, she's dead." A warm hand stroked his cheek before resting on his shoulder.

"I know. Mine too. I'm so sorry." The tears slipped down his face, and he put a tiny fist up to rub them away. Eren shuddered out a ragged sob, chest aching.

"My horns itch and my tail trips me and I'm always hungry and I can't go to Izanamis house yet and I'm.. " He was wailing now, quaking with loud cries as he covered his face with both hands. "I'm all alone."

Strong arms wrapped around him, lifting Eren from the ground as he stood and hugging him tight. He clung to Levi's shoulders, little legs trying to wrap around his muscled waist. The boy yokai felt long fingers ruffling through his hair as Levi rubbed his cheek against those locks, another big hand rubbing circles on his back.

"You're not alone anymore. I'm here. It's okay." That roughened silk voice eased him, pulling all the roiling fear and desolation out of him and replacing it with still waters. He wiped his face against Levi's neck, taking a few shaky breaths as exhaustion swept through him. Eren sounded lost when he finally broke the silence.

"You won't leave me?" He felt the scout shake his head, and when he spoke his voice was quiet but made of steel.

"No, Eren. I won't leave you. Rest now, okay?" The little yokai nodded, hugging the scout tight as he felt himself falling under waves of drowsiness.

"Nnnnkay, Levi."

As sleep claimed him he was smiling because for the first time in centuries when he woke from this dream, he would not be alone. 

His Levi would be there. 

.....................

Levi's heart was breaking as he held his sleeping yokai tight, fingers threading through chocolate strands, mouth buried between shining horns. Eren's nightmare had woken the scout as surely as if he'd been calling his name. Images flashed through his mind, hazy and disorienting, before he realized he was watching the demon dream. Levi was starting to feel nauseated, pictures strobing through his head clashing with the quiet room around him, and when he closed his eyes he inhaled sharply. He was in the dream, as if it was his own, and his gut twisted as he watched a familiar hell play out before him.

Levi had seen dozens and dozens people devoured by yokai, maybe hundreds, but this nightmare was imbued with child's terror, panic tinting the edges, raw fear staining it's lens. Levi felt himself shuddering as he watched Eren's mother disappear under claws and teeth and jaws, and seeing those gemstone eyes varnish made him want to pry Eren's own. open. Make sure they were still there, shining bright and full of mischief. Levi too had watched his own mother die, consumed by beasts of a different kind, and he still woke sometimes, screaming in the night. Wishing with all he was for arms around him and a soft voice to tell him he would be alright. When his boy yokai moved to jump into the mouths of those demons, he reached out to stop him, could not stand by and watch. He picked Eren up, tiny under his hands, and clutched him tight, promised he would not leave him alone.  
Levi did not break his promises. He would be here when that viridian gaze snapped open. The scout did not care if the whole world burned down around him.

He would wait.

.......................................

It was a few more hours before one of his men worked up the courage to brave his fury and check on him. It had to be late afternoon then, at least, but Levi was surprised they came at all. There was a knock on his door, and he blinked dazedly as he sat up, Eren clutching onto his waist as he did so. Such a short time and those warm hands had already become familiar against him. He leaned against his headboard, and when he realized he was rubbing Eren's hair without thinking, he sighed to himself. Levi rubbed his temples, trying to gather the necessary patience to deal with his scouts.

"You shitty brats better have food and tea before you even think about opening that fucking door." Levi smirked as he heard footsteps retreating down the hallway. Whoever it was they weren't completely stupid, though they were probably shocked speechless that Levi was going eat in his room. Levi. Eating food in his bed. The world must be ending, in fire and explosions. He contemplated getting up, washing up a little while he waited for whatever scout he had yelled at to bring him back dinner, but in the end he was more comfortable than he wanted to admit, lazing around in his sheets with a yokai curled up beside him. A few minutes later another knock sounded, and Levi was so hungry he was almost glad to see their stupid faces. Almost. All that gratitude evaporated when his door opened and it was Jean standing there, tray in his hands with a salad, fruit, bread, and what was probably the worst tea on the face of the earth. He scowled, remembering the last time horse face had made it for him.

"Wipe that look off your face, Historia made your damn tea you ungrateful bastard."

"She better have. You touch that tea and it'll probably taste like shit no matter who makes it. You'll contaminate it with your filthy essence. Leave the tray and fuck off, squad leader." Jean sat the tray on Levi's bedside table, stubbornly refusing to hand it to his captain. If he had, Levi would not have taken it anyway until he laid it aside, and the captain had to fight back a smirk at the two of them.

"I would say you must be fine if you can still be such an asshole, but I'm sure you'll be insulting everyone from your deathbed." Kirstein leaned back against the wall by Levi's door, looking over Levi with a weary expression, but there was concern behind it.

"Tch! If some idiot won't let me die in peace then they deserve to be insulted." Jean shook his head, barking a sharp laugh as he rolled his eyes.

"Do I need to call Hange? If you die Erwin will be pissed at me. I'm not gonna get sliced up just because you're stupid." Levi narrowed his eyes at that scout as he snatched up the bowl full of greens, grown by his men in the fields near the cathedral.

"If you bring shitty glasses here to fuck with me, I promise it won't go well for you." Jean sighed, running a hand through his hair with an exasperated expression.

"You sure you're okay? With all the shit going down on the west wall, scouts coming out of reserve, we need you in fighting shape, right?" He questioned his captain with his eyes, waiting. The scout wanted more information about what was happening, and was asking Levi without being specific. Levi would either tell him, or he would not, and there was nothing Jean could do either way. He hinted, and waited. Normally Levi would have told him to mind his own fucking business, but this was not a normal situation. Things could potentially get pretty serious, and Jean was his best squad leader as far as actual leadership skills went. Ymir was fiercer, more aggressive than Jean, and Historia was smarter when it came to strategy and planning. Sasha was recklessly brave, and would head into any situation without hesitation. But Kirstein was better with the cadets, knew how to utilize his men to the greatest advantage and get the most out of them with the least effort. He managed to taunt them into greatness, teasing and insulting until they had no choice but to prove him wrong. It reminded Levi of himself, and though he was loathe to admit it, Jean being in the know about what was headed their way might be a good thing.

"What do you know about it?" His squad leader shrugged, looking suspiciously nonchalant.

"Like I said. Scouts coming out of reserve, rumors of a horde headed to the west wall. Anything else I should know?" Levi ate a few bites of his food before answering, making Jean wait, enjoying every second that he could torment him.

"There is a horde headed towards the wall. Big one. Led there by scouts from Trost so they can infiltrate the east side and take over Mitras." Jean's face was priceless, eyes widening in disbelief, not just at the information he had received but the fact that Levi had actually told him.

"Are you fucking serious?" The captain shoved a few more forkfuls of salad in his mouth, chewing slowly, watching Jean grow more irritated by the second. 

"Yes. Serious. Everyone higher up knows, and we're dealing with it." Kirstein looked at Levi like he was an idiot.

"What do you mean your handling it? This is a big deal, Captain, don't you think you're a little calm, all things considered?" Eren's arms tightened around Levi's waist, his face pressing into the captain's side with a mumble. Levi fought the urge to look down at him, touch his hair, watch his lips part as he breathed deep in sleep. _Focus._

"Probably. But no matter what happens, we do not abandon these gates. We are doing the best we can, but if all the scouts know what is happening, their instincts are going to tell them they need to go reinforce the west gate against the horde, and that it what the Trostians want. If some yokai manage to break through, then Wall Rose will sound the alarm, and the Garrison troops will help keep them at bay until we can get the gate closed up again and go on clean up. What we will not do is leave this gate unmanned. Do you understand, squad leader?" Jean's mind was working, eyes darting around as he ran scenarios in his head. Finally he nodded, face much more serious than when he entered.

"I'm guessing I can't tell the men this?" Levi smirked, taking a long drink of Historia's horrifically perfect goddamned tea. It pissed him off, how good it was. No one should be able to make it better than he did, that talented bitch.

"No. But you can tell them to be on the alert here, eye on the gate, more cautious than usual. Don't tell them why, and they'll assume the worst. It'll be to our advantage. The unknown will bring out the best in them." Jean remained silent, eyes on the ground now, head in the fight that was coming. Right where Levi needed him to be. "Okay. Get the fuck out of here now, that grim fucking expression on your face is making my food taste like garbage." The scout looked like he wanted to speak, but the words were stuck in his throat. "Out with it. Jesus."

"Are you really okay, sir? You slept really late, went outside the wall and left Jiyuu out when you came back. No one even saw you come inside the barracks, and you've been in bed ever since we noticed you were here." His yokai shifted next to him again, threatening to wake, and what Levi wanted more than anything was this nosy bastard to leave so he could eat and stare at his stupid fucking demon in peace.

"I'll be fine. Now seriously, you're pissing me off. Go away, Kirstein."

"You're welcome for the food, Captain. Anytime for such a gracious and appreciative leader such as yourself." 

With that he left, shutting the door, and all Levi could think was _fucking finally._ The captain finished eating as Eren twitched and fisted his hand's in Levi's clothes, and after he set his bowl down on the table he turned to face the yokai, brushing that messy hair back. Trying to wake him up without wanting to admit to himself that he was doing it. Levi had to bite his tongue to keep from calling out his name, pulling him up through the fog of sleep so he could see those bright eyes open. He was tired of fighting it, weary from running in circles in his own mind to avoid the obvious, the inevitable. That female yokai in the forests had made it abundantly clear to the scout. Levi wanted this yokai, more with each breath. This yokai who would lay down his life so that the scout had free will even though he could enslave him to desire with just a kiss. This demon who spent so long in darkness, waiting just for him, alone and empty just like Levi had been his entire life. Levi wanted him deep within his bones, heart beating for this devil, blood singing in his veins just for Eren. For as long as he could remember, something had been missing down inside. A hollow ache that nothing ever eased. Now it seemed like it was overflowing, filled up with this demon who erupted from the mists.

And for the first time in his life, someone looked at the scout and saw _Levi._ Not their captain, or their subordinate, or the heir to Mitras. Not a soldier or a servant. Not a blade. Not a shield. Just Levi. And his yokai was perfect, thinking only of his mate, putting Levi first in everything. Fighting demons in the darkness, protecting Mitras from her enemies, summoning his kindred to take up blades against Levi's foes. Willing to sacrifice his strength, himself, all for a human he just met who did nothing but insult him, rail at him, hurt him any way he could. Still he ran after Levi, arms open and a smile on his face. Unrelenting and unfazed. Eren, this beautiful selfless fucking impossible being saw him, and did not find him wanting. It did not matter that he was yokai. He was _Levi's_ yokai, and no one could make the scout regret that.

So when Eren's eyes blinked open, all he could see was Levi, looking down at him with a gaze full of emotion that had never shown there before. The scout ran his hands over the yokai's cheek, knuckles tracing across his jaw, fingers thumbing over his lips. Eren inhaled sharply, breath growing ragged, mouth hanging open. He could not move, could not blink.

"L-Levi." Levi straddled the yokai's hips, arousal pressing into Eren's as he rocked into him, bending down to touch his lips against the demon's ear.

"Eren." When his name came out in that dark voice, Eren shuddered in pleasure, lids closing on their own as it reverberated through his mind. The yokai spoke, and his voice was full of gravel, dark, rough with need.

"What are you doing, little mate?" Levi's hands were hot against Eren's flesh, easing under the hem of his shirt to run up his muscled chest. He rutted against Eren's length, sliding his own against it, moving his hips in slow circles. Levi's mouth was still speaking into Eren's ear, honeyed words lighting him up from inside. This was all he had wanted, all there was in life. There was Levi's voice and Levi's skin and Levi's touch, and nothing else.

"You don't like it?" Eren moaned, head slamming back into the pillow, biting his lip with sharp teeth before he replied.

"Of course I like it. Levi, I thought you didn't want this. Didn't want me." The scout pulled back, lips inches away from his yokai's, grey eyes sparking with desire. Those fine hands still roaming his flesh, making his whole world spin faster on it's axis, everything a blur. 

"I changed my mind. I want to be yours, Eren. I want you to be mine. Mark me. Claim me. You've ached for this long enough."

Stars shifted above the yokai, constellations twisting, heavens reforming in the skies to make something complex and beautiful. Levi was leaning in, inching close to Eren's mouth agonizingly slowly, and the yokai could not breathe. The scouts dark hair was falling in his eyes, lit up with want, lips wet and open as they closed the distance. Eren could feel Levi's body against him, hard and tight and _perfect,_ grinding against him, a fire burning in his loins. Ancient instincts rose up in him, screaming at Eren to mark, to claim, to mate. _Bite him and drink his blood and drug him with your lips. Savage him, wreck him, break him into a thousand pieces and then put him back together. Take him, tease him until he is whining and wretched and begging you to let him come. Make him yours. Do it now._ Gods, Eren _wanted_ to. Had wanted to since he first laid eyes on him, eyes wet with unshed tears, cheeks ruddy with wine as he stood in the moonlight, more perfect than the night, more radiant than the sun. The yokai could feel the heat of Levi's mouth, so close he could taste his breath, sweet and fragrant with tea and honey. His mate's eyes were closed, and just before their lips met Eren brought up his hand, fingertips pressed against Levi's mouth between them. The scout opened his eyes, confusion lighting his features as looked down to where Eren held him back. The yokai closed his lids, taking a shuddering breath as he reopened them. His whole body quaked with need, spine arching with desire. It was a long time before he could speak, and when he did his voice was broken glass.

"No, Levi. Wait."


	12. Decisions

_"No, Levi. Wait."_

Levi looked into those bright eyes, brow furrowing as rejection sank through him, stones falling from his chest down into his gut. He felt his yokai's hands pressed into his lips, warm and rough and strong and _denying_ him. Eren did not want him anymore? He narrowed his gaze on that half lidded stare, mouth panting out short little breaths, body quivering underneath his hands. _No._ Eren wanted this as much as Levi did, more so, was shaking with the need to touch him. Levi did not know exactly why his yokai tried to stop him, but it didn't matter. Whatever Eren was going to say, he could say later, when they were breathless and spent and tangled together. The scout opened his mouth and licked up those fingers, sucking two of them inside and swirling his tongue around them. Eren closed his eyes again briefly, felt Levi's hot lips closed around him, chest heaving as he thrust up against his mate with a whine. When those green orbs opened they were on fire.

"Nnnn.... L-Levi... stop... h-hold on..." The scout shook his head, pulling the wet digits out slowly until they finally came free, strings of moisture tying them to Levi's mouth.

"I don't want to hold on." He leaned down to take Eren's mouth again, and when the yokai turned his head away Levi felt desperation rise inside, fierce and wanting. Levi would not be refused. He pressed his lips to Eren's cheek, trailing kisses across his jaw, down to his neck. The scout was trying to light Eren up from inside, but it was not just his yokai getting frantic with desire. Levi licked at the tanned skin there, tasting it before sucking it into his mouth, teeth sinking in deliciously. His yokai writhed underneath him, making incoherent sounds as though he was trying to speak but words would not come out. Levi could feel those hips arching up against him, seeking friction even as he said _no, wait, stop._ After teasing up bruises on that perfect flesh, the scout slid his mouth up to Eren's ear, low whisper hot against him.

"Your skin tastes so fucking good. I bet your mouth tastes even better. Let me kiss you, Eren." When Levi's hand climbed up over Eren's chest, fingers rolling his nipple between them, those peridot eyes rolled back into his head. A growl came out of the yokai's throat as he flipped his mate over, pinning Levi's wrists above him. A feral look came over his face, a predator about to strike out at unwary prey. Eren eased one of his knees up between Levi's thighs, watching as the scout panted and twitched, struggling against his hold. The demon closed his eyes, laying his forehead against Levi's chest as he took ragged breaths, trying to calm down, find his mind, his words, his reason. They were buried deep under dark thoughts, twisted up with need, drowning in desire. He could not look at Levi when he spoke, would savage his mouth with a groan, bite at those perfect lips, suck on that waiting tongue. It was ages before he found his voice and pulled back to meet his stare, Levi shaking underneath him. Wrists straining to embrace his yokai, hips rutting up against Eren's thigh.

" _Levi._ Wait. We can't do this yet." Levi was nodding desperately, licking his lips, pleading with those ocean gray eyes. _Fuck, don't look at me like that, little mate._

"Yes, we can. _Please,_ Eren." Shit, his mate was _begging_ for him, and he could not say yes. Not yet. Eren shook his head, biting out the words he did not want to speak through teeth that were clenched and aching to bite into Levi's flesh.

"You say I can mark you, I can claim you, but you do not know what that means. I owe it to you to at least tell you what will happen." Levi moaned, and Eren realized that even without the drugging effect of his kiss on his mate's lips, the scout was wretched with need. The yokai could not be sure if it was truly what Levi wanted, or if it was Eren's nature coming to the fore, seeking to claim his mate by any means necessary.

"Then _tell me._ " Eren released Levi's wrists, and the scout's hands immediately sought out the demon's skin, running over his stomach, his arms, his chest. Fingers grasping. Nails clawing. Every word Eren uttered was done so between ragged breaths, hissed through tight jaws, eyes shut fiercely against the onslaught of his mate's perfection. If he looked at Levi he might never get them out.

"You are already bound to me, our blood mingled together from your mouth to mine. Then I must mark you. A bite on your throat, drawing blood."

"You already did that. It felt so fucking good." Eren opened his eyes, and it was mistake. His mate's cheeks were flushed, eyes glittering with desire, lips parted to show bright white teeth. The yokai ran his fingers under the collar of Levi's shirt, tracing over his bite. Something savage in him howled at the rightness of his teeth etched into that skin. The scout shuddered under his attentions, hands going loose for the barest of moments as he leaned into Eren's touch. A demon's bite would always be highly sensitive, making their partner want more. Looking into that lust mad stare, Eren knew that his instincts had brought out his mate's heat as soon as Levi had consented, tired of waiting for the yokai to act on his own, impatient to have him marked and claimed and taken. He had known it could be overwhelming, but Izanami had not truly impressed upon him how powerful its pull could be.

"Not here." He eased his hands up to side of Levi's neck, just underneath his pulse point, and pressed his thumb against it. "Here. While you are..... _wanting._ With intent. Then I claim you, and I think you know what that means." The scout nodded again, _whining_ like an animal, biting his lips, hands greedy on Eren's skin. That dark hair shrouded his face, a sheen of sweat shimmering on his collarbones where they disappeared into his clothes.

"It's okay. I want you to." Eren's head spun. Levi _wanted_ him to. Wanted Eren to mark him. Wanted Eren to claim him. Maybe it was pheromones and instincts and his yokai nature drawing such raw desperation out of Levi, but an unwilling mate did not go into heat this way. Not without their lips joining together.

"Then you will start the change, and once it starts there is no way to stop it." Levi's brow furrowed, stilling, confused through his haze. Eren held his gaze, steadfast and determined. "You will turn yokai, Levi. Izanami would not be so cruel as to give me a mate and then force me to watch as they grew old, as they died in front of me in the blink of an eye. If I claim you, the change will start. Each time we are.... _together,_ more of my Lady's power will run through your veins. If it has been too long since I have been with you, you will go into heat, become like _this._ " Eren ran his hands under Levi's shirt, and as if to accentuate his point the scout arched into his touch with a groan. The yokai forgot what he had been saying, had to reach for the words as he watched his mate writhe. "Once you're claimed and lost to it, it will not ease until I take you. Then, one day we will come together, and when we finish your horns will erupt, your tail will shoot out. You will be able to hide yourself as I do, run faster, jump higher. Be stronger. You will be mine in truth, but also one of my Lady's children. You can go to her shrine, the heaven of the nightlands." All Levi could think was _I can be with Eren **forever,** running through the forests in the night, together bathed in moonlight surrounded by the trees._

"I will gladly become a yokai if it means I can stay with you." Levi reached up to stroke Eren's cheek, and he watched as those gemstone eyes filled with liquid.

" _Levi._ "

"I love you, Eren. Let me stay with you." Tears spilled over the yokai's cheek, and the scout wiped them away with a smile.

"You would have to watch everyone you know die as you stayed the same. Eventually they would notice you were not aging, and you would have to either tell them what you are or leave them behind, leave everything you know. Your life will never be the same again. I cannot make you watch all the people you love die just because I want you."

"Better that than watch you do the same. They will have their normal lives, no matter what I do. I don't want to lead mine without you. I _can't_ now. I need you here." Levi watched as a look of resignation passed over Eren's features, and he thought he had won until the yokai shook his head.

"I need you to at least think about it Levi. I cannot claim you tonight, no matter how much I want to. Let us face the horde, protect your people, fight your enemies. When that is done, if you still want me, nothing will stop me from taking you." The scout's face fell, and when he opened his mouth the speak Eren put a finger to Levi's lips to silence him. "I cannot claim you, but I can mark you, and I can _touch_ you, and I can taste you." The only reason he had not kissed his mouth before was because he did not want to lure him into this daze of lust, but Levi was there already. Eren was there, too. Marking him and bringing him to completion would ease it for now, since his mate was unclaimed. "Will you let me taste you, Levi?"

The words were barely out of his mouth when Levi's hand snaked forward, closing around one of those shining horns and pulling the yokai down to his mouth. Eren shuddered in ecstasy at the feel of his mate's hand around his horn, lips crashing together as the scout took his mouth with a whimper. There was nothing tentative or gentle about it. No hesitation. No slow build. Eren's tongue was shoving its way between Levi's lips, mouths slanting against each other. Levi was moaning, breathy little sounds coming unbidden from his throat, and Eren swallowed them down eagerly. The scout had never kissed anyone but his yokai, but there was no way it could ever be better than this. Everything was hot and wet and achy, need rising in them both, sharp as a knife. Eren's hands were on Levi's stomach running up to his chest, and his mouth was sweet and soft and _vicious._ The room spun around them as they went dizzy with each other's touch. Levi let go of the yokai's horn, tugging his shirt up, and Eren sat back to jerk it over his head, pulling impatiently at his mate's as well. The scout leaned up awkwardly, and before he could grab the hem of his top it was gone, whipped off of his body and tossed to the floor. Eren stared for a moment, tracing his hands over Levi's pale skin, watching his muscles leap underneath his touch. His scout began to flush under his gaze, eyes dancing away from the yokai's, head turning to the side in embarrassment.

"Stop staring." Eren did not. He circled his thumb over Levi's nipple, fingers curling around towards his ribs.

"You're perfect, Levi." 

"Sh-shut up. Come k-kiss me." Eren smiled a demon's smile, lowering his mouth to Levi's ear to pour his words inside.

"Listen to my little mate stuttering. Got you worked up so soon?" The yokai rolled his hips against Levi, and his mate let out the most beautiful wanton moan. "Say please, Levi."

"F-fuck off. Kiss me." Eren pressed harder into Levi's groin, arousal throbbing against the scouts through thin fabric. So close, yet a thousand miles away. Levi gasped, legs wrapping around Eren's waist to pull him in tighter. He buried one hand in those messy brown locks, lifting the other towards Eren's mouth and rubbing his fingers over swollen lips.

"You don't want me to?" He moved those lips to Levi's neck, and began mouthing at the flesh there, sucking it inside until it was surely bruised under his assault. "Guess I won't kiss you, then. But I still need to mark you, and your throat just looks so fucking enticing." Those sharp teeth sank into Levi's skin, the tang of blood sweet with arousal on the yokai's tongue, and he could not stop the debauched sound that came out from deep inside him. _Levi._ His Levi was everywhere, even inside him, dripping down his throat, flowing through his veins. Eren would swallow his mate down, his cries and his moans and his blood and his seed, would take all that he was and devour it. _Mine._ Levi was shoving his neck harder into the bite, breath ragged and quick, nails cutting red crescents into Eren's back, eyes rolling back into his head. Nothing had ever felt as good as this yokai's teeth buried inside him, tongue lapping at his blood, hands clinging to him. Instincts rose up in Eren, savage and demanding. _Claim._ He released his jaws, but could not stop himself as he rubbed his face across the wound, marking himself with his mate's very essence. _Mine. Levi's mine. Levi's blood and Levi's skin and-_ Fuck. Eren shook himself, fighting that ancient call within him. When he looked down at the scout, he was wrecked, panting and trembling like he was already about to finish with nothing but Eren's mark. The yokai looked at the bite on his mate's neck, and victory washed through him, fresh and undeniable.

"You're mine now." Levi nodded, mindless, needy.

"Yes. Yours." Eren hooked his fingers underneath the waist of Levi's pants, a question in his eyes. Levi just nodded again, frantic with want, hips rolling up. "Please, Eren. Touch me." The yokai slid his pants down his hips, pulling them off each leg in turn before discarding them. Levi moved his hands to cover himself automatically, only to have Eren snatch up his wrists. He blushed bright and hot as Eren ate him alive with his eyes.

"You too. T-take yours off." The yokai released Levi's wrists to climb off the bed, and when he knelt back in between Levi's thighs he was naked, everything bared before his mate. The demon stared openly at the scout, muscled chest heaving, cock twitching under his gaze, a pearl of seed shining at its tip. Eren did not think, just lay down between those legs and licked a stripe up the underside of Levi's shaft before swallowing it down. _Oh, God._ Levi bucked up into that wet heat, hands seeking out those horns to thrust himself in deeper. The yokai shuddered, almost shooting right then as his mate forced his cock down his throat. Eren worked his tongue around it in swirling pattens as Levi fucked his mouth, brutal and instinctive. 

"Nnnnggg... E-Eren. M-me too. I- ffffuck! I w-want to... mmmmm.... taste you, too. P-please." _Fuck._ His mate would be the end of him. Eren moved his body over one of Levi's legs without releasing his prize, twisting his hips up until they were next to the scouts mouth. He was shivering in anticipation, and when he felt that first tentative stroke of Levi's tongue across his crown, he had to breathe through the heat that shot up his shaft. _Easy. Not yet._ He had to finish his mate first. Eren began to suck in earnest, hollowing his cheeks out as he tried to drain Levi down through his cock. The yokai could tell his mate was getting close, desperate, and he could not wait to taste what he had to give. Levi's muscles started to tense, mouth easing back from Eren's arousal as he gritted his teeth, head thrashing from side to side. He mewled and whined, body strung tight as his world fell down on itself from inside.

"Fuck, Eren!" Levi buried his cock to the hilt inside his yokai's waiting throat, shooting hot jets of seed down into him. He made sounds that were not words or moans, just gasps and grunts of ecstasy. Eren's growled as he swallowed his mate's seed. He wanted every drop of Levi. Would leave nothing behind. When the scout finally stilled underneath Eren's mouth, the yokai moved to kneel between his thighs, taking himself in hand and stroking hard and fast. Levi was still breathing heavy, eyes half closed in his post climax haze, and he bit his lip as he watched his demon jacking off over him. The scout's blood was still streaked across Eren's face, moisture leaking from his mouth, shaft dripping with his desire. He looked savage and feral, and it made Levi ache inside. _His._ Eren was his. The yokai bared his teeth with a hiss, throwing himself forward over Levi to support him weight on one arm as his other flew wildly up and down his length. 

"Levi!" Everything went hot and white, electricity arcing down his spine as he erupted onto his mate, ropes of white arcing over that pale skin. When Eren's vision returned, stars finally dancing out of his eyes, he looked down at Levi with a smile. Covered in Eren's come, flushed and sweating and _sated,_ hair a mess.... Gods, he had never been so beautiful. Then his mate put out his arms, tugging the yokai down to kiss him, and warmth crawled into his chest. They kissed for an eternity, like they needed it to breathe, mouths slick and slow against each other. Their hands threaded through each others hair, traced over pink cheeks, ran across cooling flesh. When they finally pulled back they were gasping, and Eren laid down next to his mate, resting his head on Levi's chest. The scout pulled him in close, legs tangled together, clutching his yokai tight. His voice was shredded and low, but he needed to get the words out.

"I love you, Levi."

"Me too." Eren smiled, waiting. There was more. Had to be. "You shitty yokai bastard. I'm fucking filthy now. We need to go shower." The yokai smiled wider, could not seem to stop. Did not want to.

"I get to shower with you?"

"Tch! Like I'm going to wash myself. You did it, you can clean it." 

Eren imagined cool water cascading over his mate, his hands washing Levi clean, and he thought he would break inside. Soon they would get up and shower, but for now they lay still and satisfied in each other's arms, the silence between them perfect and welcome. Tomorrow there would be much to do, scouts to deal with, yokai to fight, allies to hassle them. But not today.

Levi loved him, and he loved Levi, and right then there was nothing else.


	13. Rest

They climbed into the shower together, Levi still unsteady after climaxing harder than he ever had in his life, and Eren's hands were hungry on his scout's skin under the spray. The water was cold, but his yokai's touch was hot as it roamed up his chest, down his back, over his shoulders, across his collarbones. Erens fingers lingered on the vicious bite wounds he'd put in his mates flesh, before dusting his wet lips softly over them again and again. Just the idea of those marks on him made Levi ache inside with want. He could not really believe he was here with this ethereal creature, who _wanted_ him, more than he'd ever seen anyone want anything. Levi shuddered, arms circling the demon without thought, craving the contact after so long alone. The scout had never been able to reach out and hold someone this way, and now that his body knew the feel of it, he was desperate for more. Eren cleaned his seed off of Levi's stomach with gentle hands, before kissing his mouth and pressing him into the wall.

Levi leaned against it, boneless and unresisting as Eren picked up the soap and worked it over his skin. He ran it in circles over the scout's chest, lathering his arms, kneeling in front of his mate to attend to his legs and feet. Levi had certainly never had anyone wash him this way, and he felt a blush creep into his cheeks as he melted under Eren's touch. He was slow, and thorough, and so damn affectionate with every little movement that Levi felt too full inside. When the yokai eased the soap between the scout's thighs, Levi jolted, cock twitching and going half hard as Eren cleaned every inch of him. Even though he was covered in suds from his neck to his feet, it was awhile before the demon stilled his seeking fingers and pulled back to start washing himself. _No fair._ Levi grabbed his wrist, taking the soap away from him without meeting his eyes. He wanted to wash Eren, too, but there was no way on earth he was getting the words out.

Eren smiled as his mate began to clean him in turn, skin on fire everywhere Levi touched, and he had to take deep breaths to still himself. The yokai wanted to sink to the floor and swallow that sleeping cock again, feel it grow thick in his mouth, taste it when it started to leak Levi's pearly fluid. He held himself back, partly due to the weary expression on his scout's face, but also because exhaustion was rolling through him as well. Eren was still wrecked from summoning Mikasa and Armin, though even now he felt Levi's blood rushing through his veins filling him with power. His instincts told him to set Levi alight with desire, and Eren wanted to make his scout climax over and over, until his cock was aching and sore with it, until he was pleading with Eren, _no, please, stop, I can't...._ As much as he wanted to wring everything he could from his mate, every wanton moan, every drop of come, every twitch, every sigh, they both needed to rest. There were monsters coming for his Levi from within and without, and he would see them both strong and ready to meet them, but he wondered if the scout was truly prepared for what Eren would do to him when the dust had cleared. The yokai was going to break him into a thousand beautiful pieces, make him a wretched moaning mess of heat and want, before putting him back together again and starting all over. Eren quaked inside at the rightness of it. Levi would suffer under the weight of perfect ecstasy, eyes full of tears even as he begged for more. _Fuck._ The green eyed demon had to shake himself from his reverie.

When they were rinsed clean and out of the shower, Eren snatched Levi's towel from his hands and dried his mate off, ignoring his many loud complaints as he did so. Sure, yes, Levi was capable of drying himself. That did not mean Eren was going to let him do it when he had only recently been allowed to touch his scout this way. Levi had been touching this body for decades, and it was the yokai's turn now. So Eren ran the towel over Levi's taut muscles, ruffled it through that dark hair, seeking out every stray drop of water dripping from his pale skin. Only when the scout was completely dry, black hair hanging damp over his eyes, did Eren grab his own towel to do the same to himself. After they were dressed the yokai sat on the edge of the bed, almost asleep where he was. Lust and instinct had brought him out of his coma like state early, sensing his mate nearby longing for his touch, but he really needed another night to recover from the summoning. It took a few moments before he realized Levi was calling his name, and he blinked like an idiot several times, staring blankly at the scout's face. Levi made an exasperated sound, but his expression was soft and worried.

"I asked if you wanted food? Fruit, or soup, or something? Bread?" He had not felt hungry before, but at the mention of food his stomach growled loudly, and Levi smiled. "Guess that's a yes. Don't pass out before I get back." 

Levi padded out the door, keeping his steps quiet and light, though he knew it was mostly futile. There was no point at any time of day when all the scouts were sleeping, as they rotated patrols outside and shifts on the wall between the different squads stationed there. Whether it was morning, noon, or night there would be at least a few weary scouts milling around the barracks, ready for their next patrol or headed towards their bunk for a rest. Their captain's mind was not firing on all cylinders, and he was not even sure what time it was, so he had no idea who he would find as he headed towards the kitchen. At night. In his pajamas. After sleeping all fucking day. _Christ,_ anyone but Jean. He was not up for it, but still he would not let his yokai go to sleep hungry. Could not. Levi made it into the kitchen unmolested, finding it gloriously empty, and even as relief soared through him he was thinking that Sasha must be asleep or on duty. The scout snatched up some bread and filled a bowl with fruit, before snagging a full canteen of water. He turned around to slink back towards his room, nearly jumping out of his skin when he narrowly avoided colliding with another scout as he turned the corner.

"Jesus motherfuck, cadet-" Levi's eyes eased up to take in their face with a groan even as he was corrected.

"Captain, actually. I would ask you how you're doing but...." Hange's gaze lingered on her friend's neck, and only then did Levi realize he was probably covered in fucking hickeys, as well as two brutal bite marks. He steadfastly refused to blush in front of this psychopath. "You seem like you're doing pretty well." Her eyes lit up with glee, smile splitting her face wide open.

"Go away, shitty glasses." Levi walked around her, making a beeline for his room and pointedly ignoring the glances they got from the few cadets that saw them as they moved down the hallway. Hange followed him relentlessly.

"Aww, but I wanted to say hi to Eren, see how things were going. I mean, I can see how there going already, but I like him. He's adorable." Adorable? What the fuck was that supposed to mean? Why did he want to growl at her? Levi felt the bite on his neck getting warm, hackles rising, though he did not know why. This was _Hange,_ for fucks sake. What was wrong with him?

"Hange I'm not in the mood for your shit right now." She was oblivious to his fury, as always. Or maybe impervious. Levi couldn't decide.

"If I waited for you to be in the mood for it I'd never have any fun." Levi paused outside his door, then realized that Hange could not see Eren, anyway. He went inside, stupid four eyes sauntering in after him to glance around the room, searching. "Is he here?" She looked at Levi's throat again, smiling. "Is he in as bad of shape as you are? Was he hungry, Levi? Did he try to eat you?" Eren was blinking up up at Levi and Hange through half closed eyes, barely there, brow furrowing as he took in the scout captain behind his mate. Hange continued her questioning, knowing that Levi was not going to answer anyway and never wanting to pass up an opportunity to harass him. She flitted around the room, arms wide, as though she expected to stumble over an invisible yokai. "Did you sleep with the demon yet? Do you guys _know_ each other, in the biblical sense?" Eren smiled as her words sank through his haze, and he flashed himself into being to greet the scout captain. He liked this human.

"Hello, Hange." Hange squealed, leaning down to hug him before pulling back with a smile on her face.

"Eren!" She looked at Eren's throat, causing Levi to really notice for the first time just how badly he had marked him with his kisses. Purple bruises were scattered up and down one side of his throat, along with at least one bite mark, some of them disappearing under his shirt collar towards the yokai's chest. Levi couldn't help but think that they looked beautiful, wanted to replace them with more when they were gone, darker ones, circled by teeth marks like his own. "You and Levi seem like you have been taking good care of each other." The yokai fucking _blushed,_ even as a wry smirk crossed his lips, and Levi could not tear his eyes away.

"We have, indeed." Eren's face turned devious as he cut his eyes towards his mate. "I will continue to _care_ for Levi, in every way." Levi crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the pair.

"Shitty yokai bastard and stupid fucking four eyes. You two can have your little girl talk somewhere else." The scout shoved the food at Eren, who took it from him with an easy smile, ignoring his icy tone and stare full of daggers.

"Thank you, Levi." Hange looked so happy that Levi wanted to punch her.

"Look, he doesn't even blink at your grouchy, anti-social nonsense. He's one of us now!" Eren remained silent, eating the bread Levi had brought him with a smile in his eyes. He wanted to tease his scout some more, but he also didn't want to piss him off too badly. Eren needed those arms wrapped around him when they laid down together, his nature demanded it, especially so soon after marking him.

"Did you actually need something, Hange, or did you come here just to be a pain in my ass?"

"Both. I came to tell you that you're getting reinforced here as well, a dozen scouts being brought on rotation."

"My scouts?"

"Yes, Levi, your scouts. Marco and Connie and their squads. As though any of the rest would willingly come here to put up with you."

"Not my fault they're fucking slobs." Hange rolled her eyes, moving towards the door and yawning.

"Anyway, they're riding out here tomorrow with a load of provisions." Levi's eyes narrowed at that, knowing what it meant without asking, but asking all the same.

"Let me guess who's supervising."

"He's riding out to each of the barracks to oversee resupply for possible action, not just here, before restationing on the east wall to head outside, see if he can pick up on anything out there that they might have missed." Fucking Erwin. There was a time, less than a week ago at that, when Levi's guts would have been twisting in anticipation at seeing his scout master. Now he dreaded it, felt exasperated, wondering if the commander would try to give him more shit about Eren, which he was even less inclined to put up with now that he wore his yokai's bite on his throat. Eren was listening intently, finishing up the last of the strawberries Levi had brought him and chugging down the water like he was dying of thirst. The scout watched some drip from the corner of his mouth, and before he could stop himself he was reaching out to wipe it up with his fingers. The yokai capped the canteen with a smile as Hange's eyes went wide.

"Oh my God, you just used your hand to clean up something that came out of someone else's mouth."

"I had my fucking tongue inside it, I think I can wipe up a drop of water." Levi's voice was impatient, and Hange finally put her hand on the doorknob, not truly wanting to test him this late. She was tired, too.

"Eren, you are not allowed to go anywhere. Levi has never been this interesting. I feel like I'm watching evolution take place in front of my eyes." Eren nodded blearily, looking for all the world like he was about to pass out at any moment.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Goodnight, demon boy. Goodnight, demon boy's scout."

"Fuck off, Hange." She had the nerve to wave cheerily, skip in her step as she bounced from the room. Blessed silence filled the air, and Levi turned his eyes towards the yokai in his bed. Eren's eyes were almost closed, hands folded in his lap as he weaved slightly from side to side.

"You're asleep sitting up, you little shit. Just lay down already." He shook his head motioning for Levi to join him, green eyes red around the edges with fatigue.

"Come to bed with me. Can't without you right now." 

"What do you mean, can't?" Eren crawled underneath the blankets and snatched Levi's hand, tugging him into bed next to him. The scout barely managed to blow out the candle on the table by the bed before strong, warm arms pulled him in tight, curling around him possessively. The yokai nuzzled into Levi's chest, a contented growl coming out of him. Eren mumbled out his name, and the scout wondered if he might be asleep already.

"Levi."

"What?" The demon nosed himself in tighter to his mate's skin, hands clinging tight to his clothing, sighing heavily.

"Levi's mmmine..."

With that, his yokai was snoring, and Levi was glad no one could see the ridiculous smile he wore. It was not long before he too was lost in sleep.

 

..............................................................................

 

Armin made his way back over the walls, scaling the rough stones with ease before dropping to the ground inside, cat like and unseen. The yokai could sense where Eren and Levi were through the blood of the ritual, southeast of his position, but he did not head directly there. Instead he walked the length of the wall that the scouts here defended, ducking into their barracks to appraise their numbers, watching them for awhile to get a feel for their patterns. There was no way any yokai would get through here, unless the number were indeed vast, but men could breach their defenses if they planned it just right. Even so, the number he had seen creeping through the woods to the east did not seem enough to do so. There was no logic in sending such a small force to handle an invasion, unless you had a trick up your sleeve. Even if a horde showed up to the west, as Eren said it would, and they left only a few scouts here, it would be hard for their enemies to break past the men. It did not add up to Armin, and that bothered him. The blonde yokai did not know anything about the rest of the village, and could not really assess the situation as he would like. From the snippets of conversations he overheard, there were inner walls as well, manned with more soldiers, more weapons. Armin did not have enough information, and considered heading inward to see for himself how the village was equipped, but the call of the summoner was strong. Eren had told him to go into the woods and see what he found, then report back, and the blood that called him from Izanami's shrine tugged his feet towards his friend in obedience. After he talked to Eren he could go into Mitras, lay eyes on everything and try and put it together.

He did not know how much time they had, but his instincts had him running, demanding not only that he obey but that he do it quickly. When he saw a large church up ahead, he knew that's where Eren and Levi were, and he smiled at the thought of a demon in those walls. Mikasa felt like Eren belonged to her, despite his repeated refusal of her advances, and after watching out for one another for thousands of years, he could understand where she was coming from. But the two of them were shrine demons, born from Izanam's own flesh, not turned from humans like Eren. They did not have a fated mate, as watcher yokai did, but instead found comfort and company among all the demons at their Lady's shrine. Their friend, however, had been without his destined one for so long, and Armin could not help but he happy for him. So when he crept through the hallways of the southern cathedral and eased open the door to Levi's room, his face split wide at the sight before him.

Eren had marked his mate, Armin could still smell the blood of the ritual in the air, thick with arousal and want. Just the scent of it made his skin run hot, made him want to seek out Mikasa in the woods and go to his knees before her, bury his face in her flesh. He shook himself, looking at Eren where he lay wrapped up in his mate, tail curled over Levi and hanging loose off the edge of the bed. Armin had never seen the yokai look so at peace, not in millenia, and he could not bring himself to disturb them. The blonde yokai sniffed around until he found some paper and something to write with, and it took a few moments of staring at the blank sheet before the words came to him. He spoke the language of Izanami and her demons, which was far removed from any now spoken on earth, but the summoning was strong. Any yokai called forth would be fluent in the words of their summoner, and soon the page filled up with writing, telling Eren and Levi what he had found in the woods and where he was going next. The will of the ritual obeyed, he felt tension roll out of him in waves. Now he could head towards Mitras, and maybe make sense of things.

There was nothing Armin loved more than a puzzle, and he would put this one together again and again until he was satisfied with the picture it showed him.


	14. Morning

Levi felt heat wrapped around him, sleep still heavy in his bones as he swam towards the surface, towards awareness. He felt _wonderful,_ and the scout needed to wake up, needed to know why. All was right with the world, with the universe, warmth swimming inside him. A groan came out of Levi's mouth as his eyes fluttered open, and when he looked down he couldn't breathe. He was lost in sea green eyes, shining and wide and gazing at him with love as their owner swallowed him whole, burying his cock within that sinful mouth. He was close to finishing already, and the scout wondered how long he had wasted sleeping when he could've been lost in this bliss. Levi searched for words, desperate to say something, anything, but there were none anywhere in him. Could he speak? 

" _Eren._ " 

The scout had only one word, and that was all he needed. The yokai's eyes _glowed_ with satisfaction at the sound of his name, moaned out of his mate's perfect mouth as he savaged his length, tongue swirling, gaze locked on Levi's face. Eren hummed in answer, vibrations running up Levi's cock, causing the scout to fist his hands in the demon's messy hair as he thrust upwards. The yokai had woken up to the scent of his mate's arousal, and was surprised by the ferocity of his response. Eren's instincts overwhelmed him so fast, he did not even realize what he was doing until he already had his mouth full of Levi's shaft, taking it into the back of his throat. He could not get it deep enough, wanted to devour Levi whole, pull him inside and keep the scout there where no one else could touch him. The yokai was painfully hard and not even aware of it, so focused on his mate that nothing else existed but Levi's moans, and Levi's smell, and Levi's taste. Everything Eren was, filled up with the scout until there was nothing left but Levi, and it was perfect. The yokai felt that strong body start to tense, hips rolling up, teeth clenched tight. Now that he was paying attention, Eren could smell the change in his mate's scent as he drew close to climaxing. It grew sharper, thicker, electric in the demon's nose as he breathed in deep. His scout's voice was broken when he spoke, and more than anything in the world, Eren loved to break him.

"E-Eren.... nnnnnggg.... coming...."

Levi had not even finished uttering the word when he shot into his yokai's mouth, hot jets filling it up, moaning as he felt the demon's throat working to swallow down his seed. The yokai kept mouthing at his softening length, determined to lick him clean, and eventually scout had to push Eren off of his oversensitive cock. After easing his mate's clothes back up over him, he crawled up to Levi's chest, placing soft, chaste kisses over his shirt, up his stomach, across his chest, the exposed skin over his collarbones. He finally nuzzled his face into the scout's neck, tail working itself around Levi's leg where it was kicked up on the bed. His mate was still panting hard, and when Levi looked down at Eren he blushed bright and hot.

"You didn't have to do that." Eren scraped his teeth across the marked skin of Levi's neck in answer, making the scout shudder with pleasure.

"Yes, I did. I woke up, and you were hard, and I could _smell_ you, and I couldn't stop myself." Levi's hand edged down the back of Eren's shirt, absently rubbing slow circles in his hot skin. He did not realize he was doing it until Eren leaned back into his touch with a sigh. The scout's first instinct was to jerk his hand back, embarrassed, but with deep breaths he fought it down. His yokai liked his touch, and he had done it instinctively, naturally. He told himself it was nothing to feel awkward about, even as he felt his face heat all over again.

"Uh, do you want me to... ah..." Fuck, was he really going to make him say it? Levi was still half asleep, groggy and disoriented from coming, but he did not want to leave Eren unsatisfied. The yokai chuckled darkly, tail shifting, tightening its hold on Levi's leg.

"No, it's fine. Don't get me wrong..." Eren ground his erection into Levi's thigh, making the scout groan at the feel of it. His voice was sultry and low, full of promise, right in Levi's ear. "I'm aching for you, but it can wait. I'm going to lust after you all day, run my hands over your skin unseen, kiss you and touch you while everyone watches but nobody sees. I want to watch you try to keep it together while I break you apart. Then, when we crawl back into this bed tonight, if you're still up for it, I would love to have that foul, surly mouth wrapped around me while I make you wretched under my hands." Levi's heart was beating so fast, he was sure Eren could hear it, pounding loud and frantic in his chest at the thought of his yokai and the things he said he would do. Fingers tracing over Levi's bites, tail running up his thigh, mouth laving at his skin while he talked to his men, did his inspection on the wall, reported to Erwin. He shivered, spent cock twitching at the very idea as lustful thoughts tangled in his head. Levi stuttered out a response, mind on fire.

"I-I can't have you distracting me. I h-have a lot to do today." Eren's hands were lazy on him, running up and down his forearms, reaching up to thread through his dark locks, scratching at his undercut with gentle fingertips.

"I know. I have faith in you, Captain Levi. You can multi-task." This damn boy yokai was fucking with him again. An agitated sound escaped through his teeth. This demon had Levi wrapped around his little finger, pliable, right where he wanted him, and the scout rankled at the thought.

"Oi, you stupid fuck, you keep your hands to yourself while I do my fucking job." Eren's tail uncoiled from Levi's thigh, snaking up to his groin and pushing down on the scout's half-hard length, rubbing back and forth with increasing pressure. Levi was speechless again, jaw tight, hands fisting as he fought the urge to rut against the yokai's tail. _Get your shit together, Levi._

"That's okay. I don't need hands." 

The scout opened his mouth to protest, only to have a whimper come out instead. He was ready to say fuck it and straddle this cocky demon bastard, grind against Eren until he had him begging, when he heard footsteps echoing up and down the hall, voices clamoring back and forth. It was time for breakfast, or what passed for breakfast when they had food ready every six hours around the clock, and he sorely needed to look at all the reports his squad leaders had filed for their last few patrols. He also needed to check with Ymir and see how they stood on scouting provisions, blades and gear, rope, archery supplies for the wall. Sasha should already have submitted her assessment of their food stocks, and since Erwin was coming today, Levi needed to be aware of anything they were lacking before things got serious. When he thought of being buried in paperwork and requisitions for the next couple of hours, his eye started to twitch. Fuck, Levi hated office work. But then he glanced over at Eren, thought of the yokai lazing around on his desk, absently running those hands across his skin, looking over his shoulder as he worked and suddenly it was much less daunting. Levi had to see to his obligations, especially after neglecting so many of them the previous day, but he wanted to fuck with his demon first. So the scout rolled over on top of him, pinning his hands above his head and grinding himself down on that throbbing length. It was so hard Levi's own ached in sympathy, and the day could not go by fast enough. The scout pressed his face into Eren's, lips so close that when he spoke they brushed lightly together. He locked his eyes on those gemstone orbs, watched as they lit with heat, before a smile spread over his lips.

"Time to get to work." With that, Levi jumped out of bed and headed towards his closet to find clothes for the day, listening to his yokai's ragged exhale with a grin.

"Oh, you're going to pay for that, little mate." The scout certainly hoped so.

 

...............................................................................

 

It had taken Mikasa the better part of a day moving at a dead run before she started coming across ferals, heading away from her towards the horde Eren said was nearby. As she liberated their heads from their bodies one by one, she pictured that filthy human who had his claws in her Eren. _Fucking Eren._ The yokai had known her for almost his entire life, ever since Izanami had stopped him from throwing himself into the jaws of hungry demons. She and their Lady's other yokai had cared for the little shit until he was old enough to cross the void and travel to the shrine, teaching him how to hunt and fish and care for himself. Mikasa herself could not count the number of times she had wiped tears from those bright eyes, rocking his tiny form to sleep as he cried in the ramshackle temple they had called her Lady's shrine in the village he was from. Mikasa and Armin had tried to convince the child yokai to let them transport him to a different shrine, a bigger one still maintained by villagers somewhere nearby. Somewhere not surrounded by the sun bleached bones of the people he had loved and lost. Eren refused to leave the temple in the village where he had been born. One day when Izanami had sent them to check on him, they found the little yokai baking under the sun, covered in sweat, hands bleeding as he dug a deep pit. Eren had dug so far into the earth that there would have been no way for him to climb out, small as he was, and when Mikasa had asked him what in the hell he was doing he had looked at her like she was stupid.

_"Burying them."_

_"Burying who, Eren?"_

_"All of them. Everyone."_

Unable to dissuade him, Armin and Mikasa had climbed into the hole with the boy and started to dig. They helped him climb out, and eyes shining with unshed tears, Eren dragged every last bone and skull and piece of clothing, every broken bit of jewelry and useless weapon, and tossed in in the grave. His little fingers combed through the dirt, scooping up handfuls of fallen teeth, gathering tiny fragments that had been gnashed in hungry jaws and forgotten in the sand. Mikasa had watched with eyes full of grief as the boy left no stone unturned, and when he was finally satisfied he had left nothing behind, he filled the hole with earth in silence, stacking stones over it one at a time. Armin told him he had built the cairn high enough, that the bones would be safe from scavengers and erosion, but Eren shook his head, saying it wasn't finished. None of those tears fell from his eyes the entire time, and it was days before he let himself cry again. It was only later that they realized he had counted the skulls of his people, and placed a stone for each one of them over their remains. After he was grown, fully transitioned into the fierce yokai he stood today with strength in his arms and a heart full of vengeance, he came back to their resting place time and time again. Most humans who were turned by their Lady eventually forgot their homelands, but not Eren. Year after year, decade after decade, century after century, if he was gone for too long from his kindred Mikasa did not have to wonder where she would find him. Without fail he would be in the ruin of his village, sitting cross legged on the ground in front of his pile of stones, talking to his mother in a voice too low to hear.

Mikasa knew better than anyone just how stubborn he could be. Once he decided he wanted something, it would be his. She felt a smirk on her lips in spite of herself. _Even if it took him thousands of years._ Mikasa did not truly begrudge him his fated one, but she longed to return to Izanami and ask why. Why a male, and a small sour faced male at that? What was there in this weak and vicious little human that could possibly make Eren happy? After he waited for so long that all the demon's of Izanami's shrine ached for him, begging their lady to spare Eren his suffering and just bring him to her side. Could this _Levi_ truly be what her friend had yearned for all these centuries? She could hear her Lady's voice even now, saying _'Don't ask when you can see.'_ Mikasa would do as Eren asked, as he had commanded, and then she would return to his side and do as her Lady would. She would watch, and she would listen. Mikasa would learn for herself, and seek truth with her eyes and ears and not another's tongue.

Soon she was not coming across one or two yokai at a time, but four and five, numbers increasing along with the stench. Feral yokai smelled foul, and the odor was starting to overwhelm her. Mikasa did not ever remember smelling it this strongly, not for a long time at least. She kept moving until she found a tree that towered over everything in sight, sheathing her sword and throwing herself into its branches. Surely if she could already smell them, she could get a visual on them from so high in the air. Mikasa relished the feel of the bark under her hands, the wind seeking to pull her from the limbs with its strength, the sky bright and infinite above her. Her home was beautiful and ethereal, but it had been too long since she basked in the blinding brightness of the sunlight, and for long moments she stood in the top of the tree with her eyes closed, soaking it in. She was mad at her friend, but she could not help but feel grateful for this.

Then she opened her eyes, and there was no air to breathe, no blood in her veins, no joy in her chest. Mikasa had seen many hordes in her life, but it had been a thousand years since she'd witnessed anything like this. She had expected dozens, a few hundred maybe.

There were thousands of yokai spread out across the land before her, and fear sank in her gut at the thought of her friend's mate inside weak stone walls. 

Human, and fragile, and holding Eren's heart in his hands.


	15. Commander

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, an Erwin chapter. I'm sorry, or you're welcome, whichever is appropriate for the individual situation.

_Two Weeks Ago_

Erwin was sitting in his office, head resting on one hand with a resigned look on his face as he gazed at Petra where she lounged in the chair across from his desk, feet propped up on the wood surface just to irritate him. She did a lot of things just to irritate him, just as he did things that he knew grated on her nerves. It was a common trait of the scouts, an innate desire to harass your comrades and superiors. Without it, you would be miserable among their ranks. _'It's not working out.'_ He'd expected this for awhile now, but it didn't make it any easier for him. If she had not broken it off with him, he probably would have succumbed to the guilt and done it himself sooner or later. They weren't right together, had never been, but Erwin had wanted it to work desperately. And as much as it made him feel like a manipulative bastard, it had nothing to do with the girl before him. Somehow they were both smiling at each other, as though each knew just how stupid it was for them to have even tried in the first place. Erwin sighed, rubbing his hand over his face with a curse.

"Shit. I'd hoped we could keep it together a little longer than this." Not for the reasons she probably thought, he mused, but it was still the truth. Then a sad but fond expression crossed her face, and words he never expected came out.

"Because of Levi?" The commander's entire demeanor changed in an instant, and suddenly there was more of him than before. He was bigger, took up more space in the room, needed all the air within it to breathe. Petra felt like an intruder, creeping through a predator's den unaware. That gaze of his narrowed, a hawk fixated on its prey, and with deliberate motions he got up and closed the door, never taking his eyes off of Petra as he did so. He leaned against the wood surface, crossing his arms as he pinned her with his eyes. Erwin was silent, staring at her for long minutes until she shifted under the weight of it, sitting up in her chair and putting both of her feet on the floor. 

"What do you mean, because of Levi." There was no inflection to indicate a question, but it was one all the same. The full force of his station fell on her in those eyes, demanding honesty and obedience without uttering a single word. This was _Commander_ Erwin asking, not by her boyfriend that she had just split up with, and he expected an answer.

"He loves you." Petra had to bite back the 'sir' that wanted to come out at the end. The scout master shook his head, brow furrowed, lips thinning into a grave line.

"He thinks he does. He doesn't understand that you can love someone who's not family in more than one way. He's mistaking admiration and affection for love." 

Dark thoughts crawled in Erwin's head, everything in him wanting to throw accusations at the girl in front of him. Had she dated him to hurt Levi in some way? The two didn't have any sort of problems with each other, or any history Erwin knew of. If there had been any, he of all people would've been aware of them. Wouldn't he? Did she never feel anything at all for him? Even if they were going their separate ways, the mere idea made his jaw go tight. 

"How long have you known about this? Who else knows? Who told you?" 

Protective instincts rose up in him, ready to do anything necessary to protect Levi from any harm that the female in front of him could do to him. This girl who was half Erwin's size, who he had taken to bed not a week ago. Not just her. Anyone. Anything. Everything. The scout master thought of Levi, blades faster than even Erwin's own, feet agile, eyes that saw everything. Fists eternally clenched for battle, face scowling even in sleep. Levi who could fly through the trees like he truly had wings, and did not just wear them on his cloak. Born in the the air between their branches. Levi, who did not need protection against anything in this world. _Only from himself._ Still Erwin found his muscles tensing, body ready to pounce, not understanding at first that this was a fight you did not need fists for. Petra took a deep breath before answering, looking at the floor as she ran her hands absently through her hair.

"Hange told me. Not in words. I didn't realize it when we got together. Hange approached me right after we started dating, asked if I was serious about you. I gave her some smart assed answer, I don't even remember exactly what I said. This is Hange we're talking about, it's not as though she can't take a joke, right? Something about being your fuck buddy, it wasn't a serious reply. Scout bullshit. Then, she slapped me in the face, hard, and walked off. Didn't say a word about it, but man, she was glued to Levi for over two weeks straight. He was ready to kill her. She always made it seem like it was necessary, somehow. Had this reason or that, but it was the better part of a month before I saw him without her by his side. Sometime in there I started paying attention, and then it wasn't too hard to figure out. Mike knows too, I think. Acting standoffish towards me, but only when you or Levi are around. Felt kind of like dirt when I put two and two together. Especially now, since we really aren't gonna pull off the happily ever after thing, right? We should've just stayed friends." She smirked. "Though you are good in bed."

Erwin had relaxed little by little as she spoke, and he moved back towards his desk and sat on the surface of it, looking at the ceiling with a sigh. _Shit._ He knew that Hange was aware, but not Mike or Petra, and his heart broke for Levi for the thousandth time in his life. The scout was a son to Erwin, as much as any child of his own could ever have been. He may not have been there for him until he was nine, but as soon as Erwin saw him he knew that wasn't Leven's boy, despite the blood running in his veins. That kid was _Erwin's,_ and he would heal his wounds and watch his back and make him strong. For the next decade and half, Erwin did just that. He was hell on that boy, fists heavy on Levi's flesh, blades merciless as they flew around him, pushing him to be faster, harder, smarter. Building him up to be stronger than anyone.

Levi had once asked Erwin if he would always be a child in his eyes, and the commander had not understood at first. Erwin had watched him grow from a starving, tiny boy into the fierce and imposing scout he was today. There was no one better than Levi, not in the scouting regiment, not anywhere. When he walked by the new cadets, they had stars in their eyes just looking at him. _Humanity's strongest soldier._ Erwin didn't know who had been the first to call him that, but he knew it was true. No one had ever been able to figure out where the yokai originally came from, let alone any way to stop them completely, but if anyone was going to be able to do it one day it was Levi. So when the scout had asked him that question, in a voice Erwin had never heard him use before, he was speechless for a moment. He didn't remember exactly what he'd said back, something about Levi being his own man now and not a boy anymore. But later that night when he lay in his bed, all he could see when he shut his lids were those blue gray eyes staring at him. _'Will I always be a child to you?'_ The pain in that gaze was palpable, and Erwin realized that Levi thought he was in love. The commander did love Levi, loved him more than anyone else, but it would never be the kind of love that Levi wanted from him. No matter how long he thought about it, and he had spent hours upon hours doing so with his room dark around him and an ache in his chest, he could not think of the scout that way.

So when Petra had first propositioned him, he had been torn with what to do. She was pretty, and Erwin was no stranger to women, or men for that matter, but it was always something he had done in private. Something he did discreetly. But Petra was not a one night stand kind of girl. Then he realized that maybe it was part of the problem. If Levi thought he was with someone, thought he was happily in a relationship, would he be more able to move past his feelings? Erwin had tried to get the courage to talk to the scout about it, tell Levi he knew what he felt for him. Then crush him underneath his words, tell him it was never going to happen. _But let's still be friends, yeah?_ Fuck. He couldn't do it. Would never be able to. This was an opportunity to push Levi both away and forward, and as cowardly as it was, Erwin couldn't stop himself from trying. He shook himself from his reverie, remembering that Petra still sat before him, looking at him with sympathy. For the barest of moments, he hated her for it just as Levi would hate it.

"Shit. I'm sorry, Petra. I guess I thought if we stayed together for awhile it might be good for him. Get him to move on, you know? I didn't mean to use you like that, I did care for you. I still do." Petra laughed, clipped and dark.

"I know that, you idiot."

"That's Commander Idiot." She chuckled again, rubbing her temples, suddenly exhausted.

"Fuck you, Erwin." After a few moments she leaned back in her chair, gnawing on her lip thoughtfully. "You know, we don't have to tell anyone that we broke up. If you just want to do the whole tough love thing, tell him we're getting married for all I care. Shit, Leven will throw us a party and let us drink some of that good booze he keeps stashed in the basement." The commander was laughing, dismissing the idea immediately. At first. Then his mind began to work, and Petra looked at him with wide eyes. "Fuck, Erwin, I was only half serious. I didn't think you'd actually want to." His gaze came up to hers, and instead of a man there was a hawk again, she she was the mouse in his sights.

"But you'll do it?" She rubbed her hand through her hair again, shrugging.

"Sure. I'll do it. We can call it off later on, no one will press us about it."

Erwin was quiet after that, and Petra eventually walked out of the room when she realized he had totally forgotten she was there. His mind was shooting out in front of him, weighing possibilities, playing out scenarios. Fuck, this was going to hurt Levi so much, and Erwin was ripping apart inside. But if he didn't do something, Levi would follow him the rest of his life, lost and not realizing how much he deserved something better. Something _more._ So Erwin would drive a knife in his gut.

And then Levi would stitch himself up. Stronger, harder, maybe happier. One day.

 

................................................................................

_Now_

Two weeks had passed, and Erwin sat in that same office, preparing to ride out to the gates for inspection and resupply before heading to the east barracks and going out hunting in the trees. At the time he had been sure he was making the right decision. What was it Levi always said? _'Make the choice that you'll regret the least.'_ Erwin had never regretted any decision as much as this one. Now there was some twisted yokai with Levi, unseen, unheard, claws sunk deep into the scout, eyes gleaming in possession. _'If you mean to take my Levi from me, I will kill you slowly, and I will feel no regret.'_ That demon had meant every word, and Erwin had wanted to drag Levi away from him, kicking and screaming if he had to. Lock the scout up in a cell until he came to his senses, realized that even if he could not be with Erwin there was no future with a _yokai._ The scout master had ridden out to the cathedral, intent on making Levi see reason, reclaim his sanity, get rid of that demon somehow. Keep the scout safe, as he always had. As he always would. Then he had gone into Levi's room to see him curled around the beast, looking more peaceful than Erwin had ever seen him. Even when he slept Levi looked like he was in pain, bearing the weight of the world as he rested. But wrapped up with that yokai, the scout looked relaxed in sleep. Happy. When the commander heard Levi muttering from his dreams, asking Erwin not to hurt Eren, saying the demon was his..... He'd wanted to be furious, rail against the yokai, snatch Levi from his arms, but he could not. Instead, relief sang through him, treasonous and sharp. Erwin had tried to push it down, tried to tell himself that it didn't matter, tried to tell Levi that the yokai was a monster, to no avail.

Now, he did not know what to feel, what to think, what to do. The scout master had never felt so helpless or out of control as he did now. He wanted what was best for Levi, and for the first time in his life he was not sure what that was. The scout captain was a man, fully capable of making his own decisions and learning from his own mistakes, but with a yokai like this one? Levi might not be alive to learn from them, and Erwin could not let that happen. He was lost in his thoughts, so he could not be sure exactly when it had started, but Erwin felt eyes of him. The door to his office was closed, and he was alone inside, but he was twitchy. Uneasy. Erwin felt like something was stalking him in shadows, and that did not sit well with him. He was the hunter, not the hunted, and his gaze darted around the room, searching. _Yokai._ Levi's yokai. Had to be. After long moments, he couldn't take it anymore.

"I can feel you watching me, you fucking yokai. If you won't leave, you should at least be protecting Levi when all hell is about to break loose, not watching me do goddamned paperwork miles away from him." A little blonde yokai flashed into existence, perched on the corner of Erwin's desk like a gargoyle. The commander threw himself back in surprise, chair rolling into the wall as he fell into a fighting stance, grasping for blades that were not there.

"But Eren is watching over Levi, and I had things to do here." 

Armin had already made his way past the two inner walls, moving like lightning as he surveyed defenses, inspected weaponry, counted soldiers. He was creeping through the hall that was clearly the center of the village, the seat of its power, when he had seen Erwin enter his office and thought, _him._ He is in charge here. The man might not be the official leader of this place, but authority and command dripped from his every pore. He was strong, and not in the way that Mikasa or Eren were. Mikasa was fierce and brave, baring her teeth at anything and everything that posed a threat. Eren was recklessly determined, would drag himself bloody and bleeding towards an enemy who was stronger than he was, refusing to submit to defeat. This man was different. Smart. Calculating. He could defeat you before you even stepped foot on the battlefield, before you even knew there was a fight coming, would be ten steps ahead. Armin could see it in his eyes, in the way he moved, how he held himself. Now that gaze that saw all there was to see was fixed on Armin, and he felt heat roll through him that he instinctively associated with Mikasa. Had not felt it for anyone else in centuries. Demons born of Izanami were not particularly monogamous, but the female did not like sharing Armin, and he usually did not protest, but in that moment.... The blonde yokai was growing hard under that stare, so he went invisible, seating himself in a chair across from the man, knees up in a way that his his arousal before turning visible again.

"Who are you?" Armin knew he did not really want an answer, would not truly believe him no matter what he said. Erwin just wanted to see what he would say, would read things in his words that told him volumes. Armin did not care. Let this man read all he had inside. He wanted him to.

"I am one of Eren's friends. He and Levi summoned me to help fight the threats facing your people. There is another of us besides me, as well." Armin flicked his tail around, watching as Erwin's eyes followed it with interest. 

"Did he now? And how are you helping?"

"I was out in the forests to the east of here, watching your enemy watch you. There are only a few dozen of them, and I don't think the leader of the village they are from know that they are here. They're acting on their own, leading a horde here from the west to lower your guard and attack from the east. But it won't work, unless they have men inside your ranks. I checked out your scouts, your garrison men, your military police inside the inner wall, but I can't really tell if there are or not. If the horde is to be here as fast as Eren seems to think, then there isn't enough time to determine such a thing anyway." Erwin did not know if he should believe this demon, but there was no harm in hearing what he had to say and making his own decisions.

"How many dozen?"

"Somewhere between forty and fifty men. They had some teams out doing recon. No more than sixty, I don't think."

"Weapons?"

"Blades, crossbows, 'gear' as they call it, to move through the trees? No siege equipment, if there is such a thing anymore. It's been centuries since I've been called out. At least. I don't even know how long, really. They don't have a camp set up, their extra equipment is stashed in the branches of trees, or it was before I took what I could and deposited inside your walls. If they're too close, or holding it, deliberately watching it, I can't get my hands on it. They sleep up there at night to avoid yokai. They move around each day to avoid your scouts patrols, and they seem to know very well when and where your men will go when they move outside the walls. Either they've been watching for quite a long time, or there's someone inside the ranks informing them." The commander put a finger over his lips, contemplative.

"Why are you telling me this? Shouldn't you be telling Levi and Eren, if it is they who 'summoned' you?"

"I left them a note. But you're clearly in charge here, so it can't hurt to tell you. The blood of the summoning would not allow me to tell you if it was not something Levi wanted." There were so many questions that Erwin wanted to ask, but he did not. Why was this demon so sure he was in charge? What sort of rule bound him? 'Blood of the summoning.' Whose blood? But that was not what actually had Erwin shaking his head. _Left them a note._ Somehow, that seemed more ridiculous that anything else, this pretty little boy yokai pulling out a pen and paper and leaving Levi a fucking note. _Pretty?_ The word whipped through Erwin's head, and even as he tried to shake himself, it was too late. Those bright eyes were wide, messy blonde hair hanging almost to his shoulders around wicked red horns, body perched on the chair like he was ready to strike, and fucking hell, Erwin suddenly found him ridiculously attractive. _Get your shit together, Erwin._ Levi's voice in his head, taunting him despite being miles away. Erwin wanted to pull the words he spoke next back in his mouth, but the damage was done.

"Take me into the woods and show me where they are." Armin looked faintly amused, mouth turning up in a wry smile.

"I'm surprised you trust me that much. Don't think I'll do something indecent to you out in the forest?"

If anyone did anything indecent out in those trees, it would be Erwin. He was sure of it.


	16. Tease

Levi's mood had darkened somewhat that morning when they found Armin's note, detailing the dozens of enemies lurking in the trees to the east and his estimation that Trost was not officially aware of their intentions. Soldiers that did not have to report back to their leaders were significantly more dangerous than those who did. The scout was glad that Erwin was coming now, he needed to inform his Commander of this new information as soon as possible so he would not be out in those woods unawares. Levi wanted to be in a half dozen places at once, torn between the threats they were about to face. Hange had still been loitering around when he went into the mess hall to eat breakfast, and rather than go over everything with her he just handed her the note that the little blonde demon had left them, saying it was from one of 'Eren's friends'. Her eyes had lit up, mouth starting to open when he shook his head and pointed to the paper. Once she actually read it she went serious, eyes darkening as she slid the note into her pocket. Hange clapped Levi on the shoulder before she was gone, flying out the door to do what he so desperately wanted to and ride to the east gate. When Mikasa returned with information about when the horde might be arriving, he would be more needed at the west gate to rally the troops. Erwin and Hange were almost overkill as it was, they could take care of themselves just as well as Levi.

Eren was either oblivious to the seriousness of their situation, or totally overconfident in their ability to deal with it, because after he had inhaled his breakfast, he'd begun to harass Levi mercilessly. The captain was consuming his meal slowly, meticulously as always, when he felt the yokai settle in behind him on the long wood bench, legs on either side of his own as he pressed up against his back. Levi studiously ignored him, eating his fruit and granola and drinking his tea with a carefully blank expression.

_What are you doing, shitty yokai?_

_Am I doing something? I didn't realize._

Levi wasn't sure if his mental sound of irritation came through, but he felt Eren chuckle so it must have. The demon eased his arms around Levi's stomach, face pressed into the skin of his throat where he wore a high cravat along with an especially high collared shirt, to hide the vicious bite wounds on his neck. Eren nosed his way past the fabric, placing gentle kisses along the sensitive flesh there, breathing in his mate's scent. Levi shuddered at the sensation, shifting his weight as heat shot through him. The scout captain was famous for his indifference, keeping his cool in any situation, never giving into emotion or panic. Now some demon boy had him twisted up inside, and even though he loved Eren, it still pissed him off that the yokai could affect him this strongly. His reactions were not going unnoticed by the scouts around him, who eyed Levi with looks that ranged from worried to frightened. They all thought he had been ill the day before, and though he rarely became so, he was a fucking terror when it did happen.

"You cold, Captain Levi? Still sick from yesterday?" Sasha was eating across from him, twice as much food as anyone else there and no one batted an eye. How she could eat so much and not gain an ounce of weight, Levi would never understand.

"I'm fine Squad Leader. Is that report on the food stocks already in my office?" He needed to get the attention off himself before all the other fucking cadets started in on him. The last thing he needed was a gaggle of brats circling around him, expressing their concern while his demon felt him up.

"Ah, yes, it's there, we're not too bad off, though we did lose some of our vegetables to spoilage after all that rain awhile back. Nothing too serious." She went back to stuffing her face, and Levi heard that dark voice flit through his mind, feeling that sinful mouth still tracing up and down his throat.

 _Are you sick, little mate?_ Eren sank his teeth into Levi's neck, just slightly, but it was enough to have the scout biting his lip to keep back a moan. He looked down at his lap, trying to pull his face together into that mask of irritation he always wore and having a harder time than usual. Levi had a lot of practice, trying to hide his feelings for the Commander for so many years, but they were failing him now.

 _You're going to be if you don't fucking stop. If you move my clothes around these cadet's will see your stupid fucking teeth marks, and I am not going to deal with that bullshit. They won't shut up for weeks, and they'll be watching me like a hawk to see if any more show up. I want them to respect me, not giggle over my hickeys when I turn my back._ One of the yokai's hands found the bottom edge of his scout's shirt, edging up over the bare skin of his stomach, as the other reached into the top to trace his collarbones. Levi wanted to be mad about it, he did, but his length was shooting hard with those sensual touches.

 _You will look perfectly normal to them, no matter what I do, so long as I'm touching you. I could take your clothes off and no one would notice. Want me to show you?_ Levi jerked his elbow backwards, making it look as though he was stretching but delivering a brutal strike to Eren's gut. He let out a breath of hair, coughing a bit before it turned into a laugh, and fuck, if it didn't sound beautiful to Levi's ears. Eren pulled the hand that was tracing his chest out of the top of Levi's clothes, but left the other one in place.

 _Take off my clothes and I'll take off your skin, demon brat._ The yokai's fingers ghosted up his throat, over his jaw to trace Levi's lips. The scout was panting now, taking a long drink of tea to disguise his ragged breaths as Eren rocked his hips against Levi from behind, erection unmistakable through the fabric of his pants. Eren did not move his fingers away, just spread them wide to allow Levi to swallow his tea before replacing them, easing one into his mouth to stroke the inside.

 _Is that some kind of fetish I need to know about?_ The scout bit down on his yokai's finger, tasting blood before he opened his jaws and released it, and _fuck,_ that had been a mistake. That red liquid flowed through his mouth, down his throat, straight to his cock. _Stupid fucking demon with his delicious goddamned blood._ Levi's head dropped forward, chin falling against his chest as his whole body lit up with desire. He'd forgotten how his yokai's blood tasted, what it did to him, how it set him aflame inside.

"Captain, you sure you're okay?" Sasha sounded worried, and Levi hated her for it, then hated himself for not being more in control. These scouts of his needed to take their concern and fuck off, right now.

 _Oh, did you get a taste, Levi? Is it good? I'm jealous, I want to taste yours again too._ Hands warm on his skin. Hips rutting against him, arousal pressed into his ass. Breath hot in his ear. Voice dark through his mind.

"Fuck you." With that Sasha was fleeing, taking her tray to discard it and heading off towards... fuck if Levi knew, or cared.

"Oh, uh, sorry. Just, don't overdo it today, okay sir?" Shit, now he was swearing at his men for no reason, though it would probably just seem like he was behaving normally to them.

 _Do you mean it, little mate? Because I think we should wait, but..._ Then Levi felt Eren's tail snake into his pants from where his belt was fastened, coiling around his shaft tighter than should be possible. 

_Oh, fuck, shit, God..._

He couldn't stop his internal diatribe, and even in his head it sounded desperate and full of lust. The scout stood up, knocking Eren into the floor and getting that tail out of his clothes in the process. Levi had never been _flustered_ before, felt like a schoolboy seeing his first naked girl. Or boy, in his case. The demon was fucking _laughing_ again, holding his stomach as he rolled around on the floor, shaking with it. The scout wanted to stomp him where he lay. Instead Levi stalked into his office carrying his tray with him as he did so, yokai jumping up to his feet and staggering in behind him. Eren closed the door and watched as Levi deposited the food on his desk, waiting for him to turn around and berate him, maybe hit him. It was worth it to hear that reaction he'd been unable to suppress, string of lust ridden profanities running through his head unbidden. Eren had been unsure if he would be able to woo his mate, doubted if he would really have the chance to claim him. He was so difficult, fighting Eren every step of the way, and that first day the yokai had been beginning to think it might be hopeless. Even if something was hopeless, it didn't matter. Eren did not give up, did not know how, and he smiled as he thought of how glad he was of that now that he had his mate's blood running through his veins, his taste in his mouth, his scent on his skin. It only served to solidify his belief that you could always win, no matter how the odds were stacked against you. His scout turned around, eyes sparking, glaring at the demon for long moments as he walked up to Eren with deliberate steps. The yokai felt almost nervous, wondering if his mate was truly angry, if he had pushed Levi too far in his desire to toy with him. He was pinned under that gray stare, frozen beneath it, unable to speak or move. He knew now how Levi's scouts felt when their captain turned those eyes on them, steely and without pity.

"You're a troublesome little fucker, aren't you?" Eren put his hand on top of Levi's head, eyes dancing with glee, unable to stop himself.

"Who's little?" That slate blue gaze narrowed, then Eren heard the click of the door locking before his scout wrapped a hand around one of his horns and pulled his face down. The yokai thought his mate was going to kiss him, and his lips were eager for it, but instead Levi held his face barely an inch from his own. Eren could feel his breath, hot on his mouth, inviting and laced with temptation. The scout grabbed his hand, surprising the yokai by laying his palm over the bulge in his pants. When he grabbed it roughly, they both hissed, Levi rocking forward into the touch and momentarily forgetting what he'd been about to say.

"You think I'll let you torment me without consequence, you filthy yokai fuck?" The demon just smiled wide, knowing that his mate did not really mean it. Had _begged_ Eren to fuck him yesterday, full of want.

"Should I take responsibility?" He did not wait for a response, instead thrusting his tail back under the scouts belt and wrapping it tight around his arousal. With practiced movements, Eren increased the pressure in waves up and down the length of Levi's cock. The scout's head fell forward against Eren's chest, shoulders bunching up, fist releasing his horn and drawing tight as he gasped. Ecstasy rolled through him, sharp and potent, had his muscles tightening with anticipation.

"Oooooh, ffffuck...." God, the sounds Levi made would be the death of the yokai before any horde or enemy even got there. Eren bit the shell of his ear, tracing his tongue over edge before whispering in it. Levi was thrusting forward into the yokai, lip almost bleeding as he bit down hard on it. The scout had never come twice in one day before, shit maybe not even twice in a week, but right now his cock was aching with need. He felt panic rising in his subconscious at the thought that he was a slave to this creature, boneless under his touch, whimpering and submissive.

"Not yet, Levi. I know you're quite-" He began to stroke up and down with his tail, turning Levi's face up and holding his jaw to watch the blush paint his cheeks. "-eager, but let's give it some time shall we?" The scout needed to put this brat in his place, right now. Levi reached up the bury his hand in Eren's hair, wrenching his head brutally to the side before pulling him down towards the floor.

"G-get on your knees, you- nnnnng.... cocky yokai b-bastard. Your gonna.. haaahhh... clean up this m-mess you're making with that d-dirty mouth." The scout was shaking now, thighs trembling as Eren's tail writhed around his shaft decadently. Levi released his hair and the yokai went to his knees in obedience, unfastening his mate's belt and tugging the pants under his hips so he had more room to maneuver around that deliciously hard cock. He looked up into Levi's face in awe, pink and sweating, mouth open, panting. He made the most wanton, breathy little noises and they had Eren writhing. His scout was flawless, and he didn't want to piss him off by saying it out loud, but he couldn't stop it from flowing through his mind.

 _So beautiful, little mate._ Levi's forearms were resting against the wall, head between them as he clutched at his own hair with grasping fingers. He glanced down at Eren, lids opening as he smiled into those bright green eyes, shining like jewels, like the ocean that Levi had never seen. If he ever gazed upon it, the scout had a feeling he would be disappointed. Nothing could live up to that brilliant stare, even something as vast and powerful as the sea. This demon on his knees before Levi was more beautiful, more powerful, more intricate than any far off waves shining in the sunlight. He would give up an ocean for his yokai any day. 

_Not so bad yourself. Especially on your knees about to swallow my come._ This time it was Eren who shuddered, and he uncoiled his tail from Levi's shaft to take it into his mouth for the second time that day. He closed his eyes so Levi would not see them roll back in his head in bliss at the taste of his mate, running his tongue in circles around the scout's arousal. Eren could not wait until his mate was claimed, and changed, so he could bring him before Izanami and her shrine demons. They would see how perfect he was, fierce and stubborn and breathtaking. Levi could meet his Lady, and then after that he could take him to his mother's grave so she could see the one he had waited for so long, so she would know that it had been worth those centuries alone. The magnitude of the gift he'd been given in this human slammed into, taking his breath, head spinning in gratitude.

 _God, Levi. I'm so lucky._ Levi slammed his hips forward, knocking Eren's head into the door as he began to brutally fuck his mouth. The demon was trying not to choke on the scout's cock and realizing that he might like it a little more than he would have thought. 

_Y-yes, you are._ The yokai had not known it was possible to stutter in your thoughts, but his mate was teaching him many things he'd never learned before. Eren moved to undo his own pants and take himself in hand, only to have Levi's boot press down on his wrist, holding it to the floor. He looked up at the captain through his lashes, brows furrowed in question as he bobbed up and down on his cock. Levi looked too pleased with himself, smirking as his whole body jerked under Eren's assault.

 _You said you would lust after me all day, yokai. Trying to b-break your word so soon? Tch! C-can't have that._ The demon's shaft twitched, growing impossibly harder at his mate taking charge, being dominant, saying _no._ He moaned around Levi's flesh, opening his throat to take him even deeper as he snapped his hips forward eagerly. Then Eren smelled that sweet scent again, his scout drawing close to the edge, nearing his climax. Levi locked eyes with him, oozing confidence and command from their very depths. One did not disobey those eyes. All you could do in the face of that glare was say, _'Yes, Captain,'_ and bend over backwards to please him.

 _G-gonna come, Eren. Swallow it. D-don't make a mess._ The yokai shifted his legs around, aching with desire, nodding furiously around the intrusion between his lips as he held that stare.

_Anything for you, little mate._

Little mate. When had it stopped making Levi's teeth clench with fury, instead causing his chest to go tight with affection? When did it start to make him feel loved, instead of looked down on? He did not know, but those two words threw him into the abyss, heat shooting up his length as he emptied his seed down Eren's throat, grunting and moaning loudly as he did so. When he finally came back down from his high he collapsed onto his yokai, who pulled Levi into his lap and held the scout close to his chest. Levi tried to catch his breath, clutching at Eren's shirt as strong hands hugged him tighter, rubbed easy circles on his back.

"You're a bossy thing." Levi reached up to slap half heartedly at the demon's face, but Eren could see him smiling.

"Shut up. You like it." The yokai nuzzled his face into those raven locks, breathing in deep, reveling in the simple joy of being able to hold his mate this way. To please him, and protect him, and lavish affection on him. It satisfied Eren to his very core in a way nothing else ever had.

"You're right. I do." The locked knob rattled above their heads, and it was only then that the yokai scented who was standing on the other side of the door. He had been so caught up in Levi that he hadn't been paying attention to anything else, and now he could smell two figures waiting to get in.

 _Bam! Bam! Bam!_ A loud knock sounded, but Eren already knew who it was before they spoke. The scout looked guiltily at his demon, the sarcastic expression that of a child caught cutting class or stealing cookies, eyes huge with an exaggerated frown. Eren bit his lip, trying to hold in the amusement that threatened to roll out.

"Levi, it's Erwin. Open up." Levi's eyes went wide, and the yokai thought he was about to panic, but he didn't. Instead he started laughing, rolling around in Eren's lap, quaking with it. It was a long time before he got his shit together, but the yokai didn't mind. 

He could listen to those sounds for all eternity.


	17. Two Fronts

After Levi had collected himself a bit, he retreated to his desk and sat down before Eren let the commander in, still stifling a giggle at the disapproving look on Erwin's face. He might not know exactly what had been going on, but he got the general idea well enough to be visibly annoyed. Levi's yokai had remained invisible at first out of habit, but flashed himself into being as soon as he remembered the scout master could not see him. Eren wanted this man to know he was here, wanted him to know that Levi was _his,_ even if his mate insisted that there had never been anything between them. It was a pity that Levi felt the need to hide the marks that he'd been given. The demon would've felt fresh triumph every time someone's eyes fell on them, realizing that their Captain was _taken,_ even if they did not know by whom. Then the scout started in surprise as Eren's blonde yokai friend strolled in after him, as though it was the most normal thing in the world. Armin smiled, scenting the air in the room and reading it like a story spread out before him. He couldn't help but be happy for his friend, as it was obvious his mate cared for him after all. Erwin was standing with his arms crossed, glower firmly in place while Armin perched on the chair in front of the desk, weight resting on the balls of his feet like he was ready to run at the first opportunity. The green eyed yokai cocked an eyebrow at the pair but remained silent, certain that his worrying little mate would take care of it for him.

"I see you met...." Shit, Levi couldn't remember his name for the life of him.

"Armin." It was Erwin who answered, and that drew a smirk out of Eren, who was looking at his fellow demon wordlessly. Levi wondered if they were talking without making a sound, mind to mind as he and Eren did. Somehow the thought made him feel irrationally jealous, an emotion that Eren had taught him only recently. Levi had thought he'd known what envy was, but he had been sorely mistaken, only familiar with a vague echo of its true face. He did not want anyone else in his yokai's mind, wanted that dark voice that whispered in his head all to himself, with a ferocity that frightened him. Eren caught the vicious glare Levi was unconsciously throwing his way, brow furrowing in confusion.

 _What's wrong?_ Levi blinked a few times, suddenly aware of the scowl on his face and trying to clear it.

 _It's nothing._ Eren narrowed his eyes, taking a step towards him and cocking his head to the side, not caring that the two blondes were looking strangely at them both. The scout wanted to look away, but his demon held his stare almost challengingly. 

_It's something._ Fuck it. He wanted to know.

 _Can you speak in his mind too?_ Then his yokai smiled, breaking over his face like dawn, and Levi wanted to smack him in that beautiful mouth. He knew that his mate was jealous, and he wanted to revel in it, roll around in his mate's possessiveness. Eren shook his head, grin still there but softening into warm affection now.

_No. We've just known each other for thousands of years. We don't need words._

"Are we interrupting something, Eren? We can wait outside, if you two weren't finished." Armin's voice was wry and amused as he moved to balance his weight on one foot, then the other, shifting back and forth. It was Levi who answered, irritated at the little demon for no real reason.

"Your note said you were going to investigate Mitras's defenses, I'm guessing you met Erwin along the way?" The demon shrugged, glancing briefly at the commander before replying.

"He seemed like he was in charge. The blood of the ritual allowed me to show myself to him, so I apprised him of the situation." Levi glanced at Erwin, speaking without words just as the demons did, and the scout master elaborated.

"We're heading out to the east gate. I'm taking Hange out with me to do reconnaissance, and since this... _yokai_ knows where the enemies are, he's going to come with us. We're headed there now, as soon as the supplies are unloaded and headed back to the village center." 

"Have you heard from Mikasa yet?" Armin sounded hopeful, voice laced with the slightest hint of worry for his fellow demon's safety. Mikasa was strong, and fierce, and fearless, but she was not invincible. The trouble was, she did not seem to realize this, and would run towards a fight even she could not handle alone. Eren shook his head, moving to stand behind Levi and lean against the wall there.

"No. Nothing from her." The commander did not ask any questions, so Levi assumed the blonde yokai must have told him about her and what she was doing. Levi's elbows were on the desk, chin resting on his clasped hands, lost in thought. 

"After everything is in order here, I am going to head to the west gate to help Mike get ready for when the horde arrives. My men can handle the gate here, keep it safe. Depending on how large it is, they may need me there." 

Erwin was nodding his head in agreement, already knowing Levi well enough to anticipate what he would do. There was a quiet tension between them that had never really been there before all this, distance where comfort used to reside. Levi had always been so caught up in wanting there to be more between them that he had never stopped to appreciate just how important the relationship they already had was. Erwin was not happy about Eren, and though he would not push the demon away just to make the commander happy he could understand where he was coming from. If anyone else in the village knew that Levi was in love with a _yokai,_ even going so far as to intend to become one, they would chase him from their walls in an instant. The scout's thoughts drifted to transformation, horns growing from his head, a tail sprouting from his spine. How he would become faster, stronger, sharper. Darker images flitted by as well, his father and Erwin growing old in front of his eyes as he stayed youthful and unchanged. Putting them in the cold ground while he still drew breath. Enduring centuries without them by his side. Would Levi have to watch as Mitras turned into a decaying ruin? How long could humanity cling to existence in the face of the relentlessness of the yokai outside these walls, hungry for their blood, never tiring, ubiquitous and contagious? The ruin that Eren had been summoned from was once new, and clean, a tribute to a goddess that lived among Eren's people. Would those walls one day crumble into dust, streets full of ghosts and the echoes of life? Levi could very well live in a world empty of people, lands inhabited only by the ravenous dead. _But not alone._ His yokai would be there with him, trailing after him into eternity, eyes full of mischief, hands hungry for his flesh. The scout could face anything with this demon by his side, even if they were all that was left.

He would happily rip his tongue out before he told him any of this. Erwin was backing absently towards the door as he spoke, ready to head to the eastern gate and into the forest to find his enemies.

"Well, I guess it's time to get to work." He looked pointedly at the scout captain, inclining his head. " _Captain Levi._ " Eren did not like that condscending tone, that wry smirk, that quirked brow. He moved up towards Levi, running his fingers across the scout's shoulder until they edged under his uniform, tracing the collarbones there with possession lighting his face. Instead of slapping his hand away as he knew he should, all Levi could do was shudder. Erwin watched his movements with disdain in his eyes, and the yokai knew he wanted to reach over and snatch Levi from his grasp. Eren really did not think this man was a threat, but his mate had lusted after him for years, longed for his touch. They had bigger problems to face right now than his petty jealousy, but the mating instinct was strong, hard to resist. The only thing that kept him from lashing out and drawing Erwin's blood was the memory of Levi's voice in his ear, ragged with desire, saying, _'Please, Eren.'_

"I don't know, I've worked Levi pretty hard already this morning. Hey commander, where'd that bruise come from? Looks nasty." The scout master pulled his sleeve down to try and conceal the blue black marks ringing his wrist but it was too late. Levi glanced at them with his brows furrowed, questioning him absently as he dug through papers.

"Shit, that looks bad. You piss off Petra or what?" Levi was talking about Petra, joking about her without a trace of the melancholy that usually lit his features anytime someone mentioned her. For the briefest of instances, Erwin almost felt grateful to Eren. Then he rubbed gingerly at his wrist, feeling the soreness in his bones, and all that gratitude vanished into nothingness.

"One of the animals got a little wild on me." Eren smirked, not really minding that he'd been called an animal. He was a predator in the night more than anything else, stronger and faster than the creatures these people had built walls to keep out. Fifty feet of stone was not enough to keep him at bay, not when his mate was inside.

"Stupid. You shouldn't've been holding the reins that way, especially on an unbroken horse." Erwin was talking to Levi but his gaze was locked on Eren's, fiery gazes staring into each other, full of venom.

"I underestimated him. I didn't put him down because he might prove to be useful, but he may yet feel my blade before all is said and done." Eren smiled, too many teeth and all of them sharp, tongue tracing across their surface with hunger. Those green eyes glinted with aggression at the scout master's veiled threat, just begging him to _prove it._ His mouth was already open to respond when the door burst open to reveal one of the cadets, panting breathlessly around his words.

"Captain, Commander, we have flares from the relay outposts." There were several stations along the walls in between the cardinal gates so that if there was trouble and someone shot up a flare, the nearest outpost could fire up another one, until the message reached all the way around the wall. Each gate had its own identifying color, along with colors for situations, gray for a horde, red for lost squad members, black for a breach in the gate or the walls.

"Which gate?" Erwin and Levi were already up, the scout captain strapping on blades and gear with practiced ease, not a trace of panic anywhere in him. Eren was also pulling on his swords, not that it was absolutely necessary but having some reach might come in useful. Blades could extend further than claws and teeth, after all. 

"Both, sir. East and west. Gray from the western gates, red from the east. Not just that sir, but the flares from the west...." They were moving fast through the cathedral, pushing through the doors to blink in the face of the bright sunlight that shone down. The cadet didn't need to say anything now, because they could see the flares themselves.

Three gray flares shooting up into the sky, alongside the green that identified the western gate. _Fuck._ Levi's world spun on its axis, shivering before resettling around him. One gray flare was a hundred yokai or less. Two, a thousand. Three flares? There could be up to five thousand yokai. Neither Levi nor the commander had ever seen more than two at once. A red flare coming from the east, twisting into the sky next to its own yellow identifier. A squad lost. It could be one member of the squad, or every scout on it, up to six men. There was no way of knowing until Erwin rode out. They stood there for a moment, a trio of scouts and two invisible yokai, sunlight filtering down through the clouds to dance over them. The wind was blowing, making the grass roll in waves as it spread out around them. It was a beautiful day. 

It would not be for long.

The commander was on his horse before anyone could blink, barking out orders to the blonde yokai in a voice that was no used to being disobeyed.

"Come on, little yokai. We need to go." Armin started running straight towards the eastern gate, and if Erwin was surprised he did not show it. He looked towards Levi, face a mask, revealing nothing of the emotion underneath. Levi's was a mirror, jaw set like stone, eyes full of something dark and unfathomable. The pair had gazed at each other with these expressions many times before, the weight of duty pressing down upon them, heavy and unshakeable. This time was no different but the stakes were higher, and Levi found his hands itching to draw his steel even now. "Captain Levi, who are you leaving in command here?"

"Jean is coming with me to the west, but his squad will stay here. Ymir and Historia can hold this gate." Erwin nodded, and without another word he was riding east, feet spurring his mount to move faster. Levi stared at him as he rode off, a macabre part of him wondering if this was the last time he would watch him go. _Scouts dead outside the walls. Yokai bearing down on us. Enemies lying in wait for a hint of weakness so they can crawl over our walls, a scourge in the night._

_What does the smoke mean, Levi?_

_Gray is a horde. Up to five thousand strong. Red is a squad member lost, probably dead. Maybe one. Maybe six._ Eren felt something twisting in his gut at the thought of Mikasa, buried in five thousand demons, swords drenched in blood.

 _We're headed west?_

Levi finally tore his gaze away from Erwin's retreating form, locking eyes with Eren before giving him a single nod. Levi turned, walking away from the cathedral with deliberate steps, and Eren had only a moment to wonder where he was going before the scout reached towards his belt to pull out a grip. Then he was firing a grappling hook up towards the wall, and as it latched onto a metal ring there the scout made a motion with his hand and he was _flying._ A metal cable was pulling in the slack, carrying him upwards with impossible speed. Eren caught his breath at the sight of his mate soaring through the air, only to land atop the wall, catlike and graceful. There was something beautiful about it, and only when Levi began shouting orders at cadets along the wall did the yokai snap out of it. He ran towards the wall, seeking out the handholds imbedded in its surface to climb up. Eren did not wear the gear that Levi did, as he did not know how it worked, or if he would be able to get the hang of it quickly. If he really needed to move through the air that way, it would not be a problem. When he finally reached the top he clambered up, watching his mate direct scouts with a tone which brooked no argument.

"JEAN! Where is that shitty bastard?" Levi turned to a cadet, who suddenly looked much less like a child to Eren with the glint that shone in his eyes. "Sound the siren to call in the squad in case they haven't seen the flares yet. Ymir!" A scout was running up to him, face grim. "You and Historia are in command here. Jean and I will be riding out to the western wall. We are on redeye, six asleep, everyone else is on duty. Get the horses all saddled and on standby, four ready outside the wall in case we need them. After you get those mounts outside, those gates are on lockdown. Keep your eyes out for flares. Where the fuck is Jean?"

"Here, Captain!" The squad leader had just landed on the wall, gear still singing as it wound steel back inside.

"You and I are headed west. Get your squad in check here and get on your fucking horse."

"Yes, Captain." Jean was latching his hooks onto a ring and rappelling down the wall in an instant. Levi turned back to Ymir, who was shouting out commands of her own.

"You have this in line, Squad Leader?" Ymir pulled her fist up to her chest in a tight salute, face full of determination.

"Yes, Captain."

"You hold this fucking wall. Against yokai, or anything else. Can you do that, Squad Leader?" Her eyes glittered, and a feral smile crept over her face.

"Yes, Captain. Nothing's getting through here." Levi nodded, once, sharp.

"That's what I like to hear. Now stop standing around like a fucking idiot and get to it." It was her turn to nod, and then she was all loud voice and pointing fingers, scouts scurrying to and fro under her direction. "We have eyes on the patrol squad yet?" Eren was not sure who he was asking, but someone spoke up in response, and when the yokai turned to look he saw them looking out into the distance through binoculars.

"Moving in now, all accounted for, sir."

"All right. You better all be here when I get back. If I find out any of you have gotten eaten by yokai, I will kick your asses. Do you understand me?" The answer was resounding, every scout within earshot responding, voices filled admiration.

"Yes, sir!"

Then Levi was latching on, sliding down the wall on his gear faster than Eren would have thought possible. The yokai just stepped off, feeling the air rush around him until he landed on the ground in a crouch. One day soon, his Levi would be able to do the same, and the thought made him warm inside. If there had been any way for his mate to complete the transformation before the horde had gotten here, Eren would probably have pushed him into it for his own safety, as he would be much stronger when it was over. The yokai did not know exactly how long the change would take, but it would be at least a few days, and the last thing they needed was Levi getting thrown into a heat while they were trying to fight a thousand feral demons. Levi had noticed his yokai leaping to the ground, and when he reached the bottom he looked at him in disgust.

 _Fucking show off._ Eren smiled.

_Jealous?_

_Fuck you. Let's ride. We have demons to kill, and we need to see if your friend is out there._ Jean had brought out Levi's horse, and as the captain mounted it he leaned forward, looking at Eren with brows raised. 

_Are you coming or not, shitty yokai bastard? The horde isn't going to wait for you to get your head out of your ass. Get on._

Eren's breath caught in his chest, and that smile on his face went wide when he realized that Levi was going to let them ride together. He didn't need to be asked twice, and when he leapt up onto Jiyuu behind the scout and felt his mate settle into him, he sighed in bliss, despite their situation. They were riding towards danger, death surrounding them on all sides, more enemies than they could even count. Yet as they began to fly across the ground, Levi's scent in his nose, body rocking against Eren as the horse moved beneath them, he couldn't help but smile.

Eren would tear these beasts apart, would face this horde naked and alone with only his teeth if that's what he had to do to claim his Levi.


	18. Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little dark here. Fair warning.

As Erwin drew near enough to the east gate to pick out the figures atop the walls, he noticed something strange amidst the chaos of the scouts.  Someone was standing up there, dangling a scout off the edge by their arm.  When the commander got closer, dismounting his horse, he started to hear manic laughter.  Hange.  It was Hange, holding a scout by the arm, threatening to drop them off the wall to be broken on the earth below.  Erwin was shooting off his gear, flying through the air to land near the scout captain, fury rolling through him.  Erwin did not know what had happened here, what was going on in those trees, but he would find out.  He absently noted that the blonde yokai had climbed up the wall after him, faster than should be possible.

"Hange!"  Those crazed eyes slid over to him, and he saw his own rage mirrored back, a thousand times stronger.  Only then did Erwin look at the boy she held, and realize it was not one of their scouts.  _Trost._   This was one of their enemies, clinging to Hange with desperate hands, tears streaming down his face as he felt gravity pulling him inexorably downward.  Hange was covered in blood, streaking over her face, soaked into her hands, staining her cloak crimson.  Little flecks of it marring the lenses of her glasses.  There were half a dozen scouts surrounding them, eyes made of stone, fists clenched in anger.

"Look who I found in the woods, Erwin!"  Her voice sounded like a little girl's, giddy with excitement. Hange loosened her grip, fingers sliding from the child's elbow down to his wrist before tightening again.  A broken sob echoed out of his lips, incoherent begging tumbling between them, _please, no, don't, stop..._   

"Hange, pull him up."  She cocked her head at him, tongue tapping against one of her canines, brows furrowing in confusion.  There was not a person there, not a leader, not a scientist.  There was only a scout, with the image of her fallen brothers burned into her mind.

"I don't think I should.  See, I found him stacking up the bodies of Oluo and his squad, shot full of Trostian arrows.  And then, when my squad and I took him, his friends decided to try and make it an even dozen."  _Oh, no._   Erwin's heart was sinking in his chest, and the faces of the scouts around them told him everything he needed to know.

"Where's your squad, Captain?"  Hange looked down at the Trost scout, baring her teeth at him with a hiss.

"Oh, scattered between here and where I captured this fucker, arrows in their backs, heads chopped off."  She loosened her grip again, catching the scout's hand at the last second, fingers quaking under the strain.  The boy found his voice again then, pushed it through the gravel in his throat.

"Please, I didn't kill them, it wasn't me!"  Erwin felt ice running through his veins where his blood should be. Hatred where there should be mercy. Steel where there should be flesh.

"Pull him up Hange.  Take him in the stables.  Find out what he knows."  Sunlight glinted off her glasses, eyes invisible behind the glare as she looked at her commander.  _Eleven.  Eleven scouts, dead by their enemies hands._ "You don't have to ask nicely."  The captain was tugging him up then, before she tossed him on the stones in front of the six scouts surrounding them.  He was already bleeding from his mouth, and he looked up at Hange's men in horror.

"You heard the Commander.  I get to find out what he knows, and I don't have to ask nice.  They killed our brothers.  Go ahead.  Ask him."  

The scouts looked between each other, and their expressions would send fear creeping through the fiercest of hearts.  Then they descended on him, feet impacting brutally into his flesh as the scout's kicked and stomped at him, boots coming back slick with blood.  When his cries began to fade into animal whines, Erwin finally raised his hand.

"Enough!  He needs to be able to talk!  Captain, get him down there and find out what's going on in those fucking woods.  You're relieved of combat duty for the rest of the day."  Hange's face said she did not like the sound of that at all.

"Erwin-"  His eyes flashed at her, no trace of the man she knew as her friend, her ally, her companion.

"It's Commander Erwin.  Get that fucking pile of meat out of my sight.  Now."  

She did not respond to him, just scooped up the bleeding Trostian scout like he weighted nothing at all and rappelled down the wall.  Erwin watched her go, eyes void of pity as she dragged the boy by his hair into the stables, feet vainly seeking purchase on the earth below him.  He caught the gaze of the blonde yokai, tilting his head to the side to signal that he should follow.  They put some distance between them and the scouts, until it was safe to speak.

"Can you go into those woods, kill those men, take them out on your own?  Your friend is out killing yokai for us.  Can you not kill these enemies as well?"  Armin was shaking his head, looking lost, like he was a thousand miles away.

"No.  Izanami is my Lady, and my Lady respects human life.  If they were directly threatening me,  Eren, Mikasa, or Levi, then I could strike them down.  Until then, I can only observe."

"Go out into the woods, find out where they are.  If you can take any of their weapons or supplies, sabotage their gear, anything that would hurt them, do it.  Then come back with their locations, and me and my men will go after them." A shrug. A nod.

"As you wish."

Erwin watched in awe as the little demon leapt off the wall, landing on the earth in a crouch as though he hadn't just fallen fifty feet.  Then he was gone into the trees, lost amidst the leaves and branches.  Fear shot through the scout master, sharp and foreign.  He was afraid for that blonde yokai, who had just taken a jump that would kill a man, who was invisible and eternal.  Fast, and strong, not of this world.

It didn't matter.  He was afraid all the same, and as he watched the last traces of that yellow hair vanish into the woods, all Erwin could think was, _'Come back.'_   Screams echoed from the stables alongside Hange's cackling laughter, dark and lunatic.  Reason gone as loss filled up the place it had been.

The sun's rays danced across the scout master's face, light shining in his eyes while shadows twisted in his heart.

.................................................................

 

When Jean, Levi, and Eren arrived at the west gate, it was clear that the horde had not arrived yet.  There was no inhuman wailing, no bestial growls coming from the other side of the wall, and though the scouts were rushing around like mad, there was no real panic in them.  Not yet, anyway.  The horses here had all been saddled and brought out of the stables, ready in case the scouts here needed to move quickly.  Captain Zacharius was on top of the wall, directing the scouts, getting archery gear in place, setting up supplies.  Levi was off his horse before anyone else, and before Eren could blink he was sailing through the air to land atop the stones over the gate, leaving the yokai to scramble up after him.  For the first time since he had been summoned, Eren felt terror shoot through him.  A horde was coming, one thousands of yokai strong, and his mate was ready to leap into the thick of them swinging his blade.  He wanted to snatch the scout up, carry him bodily away from this place to safety, use his claws and teeth and strength to protect him from danger.  Looking at those fierce gray eyes, Eren knew he could not.  Levi would never forgive him if he kept him away from his men, prevented him from watching over his people.  If the demon saved his life at the cost of these men's, he would hate Eren until the day he died.

Levi was talking to the Captain of this gate in a low voice, but Eren wasn't paying attention to what they were saying.  He was looking at the scouts around them, who were gazing at Levi in awe, talking in hushed whispers.  The yokai could hear every word, and he felt pride sing through him.  _'We'll be fine, Levi's here.'_   Time and time again, those faces went from nervous and full of fright, to calm and confident.  His mate was here, and that's all these men needed to see.  To them, the day was already won, the yokai defeated under the sting of Levi's blades before they even arrived.  They carried on with fresh determination now, all the hesitancy banished from their movements.  After awhile, Levi walked back over to Eren, meeting his eyes with a scowl.

_So what is the plan?  What are we doing?  How do your people plan to fight so many yokai?_

_No visual on the horde yet.  They already pulled their men inside.  There are horses outside the walls, waiting for the yokai to get close.  When they're near enough to the walls, scouts will gear down and mount them, riding north and south to split the horde up, make them follow._   Eren frowned at him, not sure he was following.

 _They're bait?_   Levi was nodding, looking unconcerned.

_Yes.  Two riders head north, two riders head south.  The yokai will split, spreading out along the wall as they chase after them.  With this many yokai, the strain on the wall would be too much.  If we can get enough of the ferals to follow, we won't have to worry so much about the integrity of the gate._

_What happens when they catch them?  Horses can't run forever.  Yokai can._

_They'll use their maneuvering gear, latch on to the top of the wall, continue luring the demons down its length using the hooks in the stone._   For a moment all Eren could think of was Jiyuu, and he was glad that the animal was inside the safety of the walls. 

_Poor horses._   Levi laughed, a vicious bark of dark amusement.  Then the wind changed, and Eren caught a scent that made his chest tight.  _Yokai._   He could smell them now, which meant they must be drawing close.  Then he turned his head and saw a flash of movement as something threw itself over the wall several yards away, landing in a  bloody heap on the stones.  None of the scouts reacted except for Levi, and that's when Eren realized what it was, who it was.  _Mikasa._   

"Mikasa!" Eren was flying towards her, Levi trailing behind him more slowly, trying to avoid the notice of the scouts. The female yokai was dragging herself to her knees, leaving bloody handprints in her wake. Smears of red from her arms, streams of it dripping from her hair. Mikasa was panting, and as Eren fell to his knees beside her he noticed that she did not have her blades anymore, had lost them somewhere in the melee. "Are you okay?" His hands were on her, sliding her filthy locks back from her eyes, feeling along her arms for injuries. But she was nodding, pushing him away, climbing wearily to her feet. Levi's yokai stood next to her, a steadying hand on her shoulder.

"Too.. Too many. I fought as many as I could, but... There's still too many." Her eyes flashed over to Levi, before settling back on Eren. "They're going to break through this wall, Eren. Destroy that gate. There's no way it will stand in the face of this many yokai." Levi was shaking his head, no, speaking in a voice that did not carry.

"They won't." She looked at Levi, pity etched across her features. Eren would not let his mate die, even if he had to drag him away over the corpses of this entire village, and Mikasa knew it. But it would not lessen the pain of losing his people.

"Levi. There are thousands of them. It will be too much for these stones to hold."

"Then we'll sound the sirens, shoot off the black flares, and open the gates. Better to let some of them in and keep the wall up, let some of the pressure off. We can split the horde again inside the walls, lead them north and south. After we get the gates shut again, we will go after them on horseback, or from the top of the walls. The Garrison troops on Wall Rose are armed, ready. They'll pick them off as they come in from all sides."

Eren was pondering the scout's plan, wondering if it would work, when suddenly and explosion rocked the ground below. Smoke billowed up from the scout barracks, black and acrid, before the yellow of flames was visible. The building was an inferno, and the yokai could smell flesh burning from inside, could hear the fading screams of the scouts that had been inside. Levi looked at the blaze, lips raised in a snarl as he looked at what used to be the barracks. There was nothing left alive in there. There was no way. Still, scouts were rushing up to it, trying to throw water on the flames, but it was useless. A few of the cadets were screaming, trying to run inside to save their brothers, only to be held back by their comrades. 

Someone had set this fire deliberately, wanting to cause chaos, to create distraction. They had succeeded.

"Let it burn!" Levi's voice sounding out, sharp and final, screaming down to the men on the ground from his perch on the wall. "Whoever set that fire, set up those explosives, they want us trying to put it out instead of fighting the horde headed our way! Well fuck that! Let it fucking burn, and after we kill these goddamned yokai and we find out who did this, I promise you can watch while we burn them alive like our brothers! They want us to fail, they want us to break, and we're not going to. We're going to kill these fucking demons!" For a moment there was silence, broken only by the crackling of burning wood and the sobs of a lone cadet, still fighting one of his comrades, trying to jump into the flames to pull out his long dead companions. Then, one by one, the scouts were standing tall, fists coming up to their chests in a salute, eyes glittering with fire that had nothing to do with the blaze in front of them. "Do you fucking hear me?" Then their voices were echoing out as one. Stronger than the sum of their parts. Tempered from iron into steel, resolute, the weight of the dead on their backs filling their hearts with resolve.

"Yes, sir!"

"Captain Levi! Captain Zacharius! We have a visual sir!"

Then the first of those eerie wails sounded out, filling the air alongside the smoke. The stench of yokai twisting with the scent of the burning dead. Levi locked eyes with Eren, and the yokai didn't know why, but he was nodding.

The horde was upon them.


	19. Horde

Armin was not sure how long he'd been flying through the woods, seeking out the enemies of his summoner, but he was well past the places that he had encountered them so far. They had pulled back deeper into the forests, and he was beginning to wonder how they had managed to move so fast when he felt it shudder through him, freezing him in place. _The blood of the ritual._ He did not have to think, couldn't have stopped his feet from turning and bringing him back towards the wall even if he'd tried. Levi was in danger. Not just a casual threat, but mortal danger, his very life at risk. The horde must have arrived at the west gate, and Eren's mate was in the thick of it, most likely. The blonde yokai was moving faster than he had before, legs pumping through the leaves and grass as though his own life depended on it instead of a human's. The ritual's sway was strong when the summoner was under threat, and it was as though invisible chains tugged him through the trees, forcing him back to the west like wildfire. He had to get to Levi, and he had to get to him _now._ It seemed like only moments before the wall came into view, and when he noticed the Commander standing on top of it and staring out into the woods he was a bit confused. Why would he still be standing there? Wasn't his captain torturing one of their enemies right now? Armin knew when Erwin laid eyes on him, saw the tension ease out of his body, even from so far away. _Oh._ The human was waiting on him to return, and if he didn't have instinct surging through his veins and forcing his steps faster and faster, he would have taken some time to discuss it with the man.

By the gods, he wanted to _discuss_ it.

He could not, though, not at the moment. So instead he leapt up on the wall next to him, taking every ounce of his will and concentrating it into his legs, stilling himself for the barest of moments so he could tell Erwin what was happening.

"I couldn't find any enemies out there, they seem to have retreated further away from the village. I have to get to Levi and Eren. They're in danger. The ritual is calling me to them." Those blonde brows furrowed, glancing to the west with what looked like longing.

"How bad is it? Can you tell?"

"I wouldn't feel it if their lives weren't in danger. I have to go, I'm sorry." The blonde yokai leapt from the stones, landing in a crouch below before sailing over the earth, inhumanly fast. Erwin blinked, and he was gone, vanished into the grassy expanse before him. Emotions warred across the Commander's face. The last thing he should do was abandon his post and ride west, but if Levi was in danger, maybe they needed his help. If the enemy had retreated into the trees, it was unlikely that they would move on the wall right now. Hange was here, as well, and in her current state of fury there was no way anything was getting past her. He would have to make her postpone her impromptu interrogation, but he was fairly sure the enemy scout's legs were broken by now. Erwin suppressed a dark chuckle. _He won't be running off...._ Then he saw it, black flares sailing into the sky beside the marker for the west gate, and he was pulling out the grips on his gear and latching onto the top of the wall.

"Squad Leader!" Erwin didn't know the kid's name, this wasn't his gatehouse, but the scout stood at attention and looked his way. "Go get our friend from the stables. Tell Captain Hange that I am riding to the west gate, and that full duty is reinstated. Tell her I said hold the gate, or I'll let all her pet yokai go." The scout was smirking, but he responded in a respectful tone.

"Yes, Commander Erwin. I'm sure she'll have no trouble." 

The scout master nodded at him, before rappelling down the wall and whistling for his mount. Levi was in danger. The gate had been breached, black smoke coiling through the air in testament. The men were fighting against a horde even now. All good reasons to ride out towards the battle.

But as he spurred his horse onwards, all Erwin could see in his mind was a blonde yokai, hair flying out around his head as he ran headlong into danger.

.......................................................................

Sometime after they'd shot off the black flares, expecting the worst, Levi saw a lone rider headed away from the wall and he felt fury roll through him. Any scout who wanted to head to Wall Rose, who was afraid to fight, would be allowed to leave without question. No one would judge, or say anything. It was useless to have a terrified scout on the front lines, pissing themselves instead of killing their enemies, and they had learned time and time again that it was better to let them retreat. So as he watched the scout headed not in towards the village but north towards the gate house that was the least guarded at the moment, he could feel the scowl on his face.

"Zacharius, who's your fastest rider?" Mike was looking over towards him, following his gaze to the scout. The traitor. Had to be. Anyone else would not have been so eager to get away, shame slowing their movements as they left their brothers to fight, and Mike saw it as clearly as Levi did.

"Gunther!" There was a response from the ground, a scout standing at attention and looking up at his Captain. Mike pointed towards the rider, face full of rage. "Get on your fucking horse and get that bastard to Wall Rose! Mostly alive, if you can, but don't let him get away!" The scout was moving before Mike was even done speaking, leaping onto his mount and digging his heels into its side. The fleeing scout looked back, urging his horse forward with new vigor now that he was being pursued. Levi was wondering if Gunther would be able to catch up to him, when suddenly he saw something arc away from the scout and hit the enemy rider with a thud. Only when he was jerked backwards off his horse with a deafening scream and a spray of red did Levi realize what had happened. Gunther had shot his 3D gear into the rider's shoulder, latched on and tugged him to the ground. Levi found himself smiling, the smile of a wolf in the night, and the scouts on the ground were cheering at the sight. Gunther got off his horse, just long enough to deliver a kick to the fallen rider's face before tugging on the enemies gear, binding him tight with his own steel cables. Levi could see Gunther's mouth moving as he tossed his bleeding bundle over his horse, and though he didn't know what the scout was saying, it was sure to haunt to other man's dreams. _If he has any left, anyway._ The captain had not been joking when he said they would watch him burn. A dark place inside him could not wait.

 _Holy shit, I didn't see that coming._ Eren's voice in his head drew him back to present, back to where he was gazing out into the forest, waiting for the horde to show itself through the trees. They had gotten a visual through the binoculars, but still didn't have eyes on it. The riders who had volunteered to gear down outside the wall and split the yokai north and south were already on their horses, animals jittery and nervous. They could smell the demons, could feel the vibrations in the earth as they pounded over it towards the village. If the scouts waiting to be bait were nervous as well, it didn't show from the top of the wall. Eyes made of stone looked out into the forest, listening to unearthly wails, one hand on their reins, the other on their grips. Part of Levi wanted to be down there with them. It was the most dangerous part of what they were doing, and letting someone other than himself do it did not sit right with the captain. He glanced over to his yokai, who moved to stand so close their shoulders were touching. Levi closed his eyes, drawing strength from the contact in ways he didn't know were possible.

 _Me neither. I wouldn't have thought of that, it was smart. He probably won't survive a wound like that, but we don't need him alive that long._ The yokai was snickering, and it was music to Levi's ears.

 _You're a bloodthirsty lot. I like it._ Levi cut his eyes at Eren, only to catch his breath at the devious smile on the yokai's face. _I'm sorry about this. I know now's not the time._ The scout furrowed his brows, turning towards the demon in confusion.

_Time for what?_

Then Eren leaned in, grabbing Levi by his hips and pulling him in close before crashing their lips together. The yokai's tongue delved into Levi's mouth, and before he could stop it the scout was moaning into the kiss. They heard Mikasa making a disgusted sound from where she sat on the stones, but it was easier than it should have been to ignore her. There was something desperate about this embrace, something fierce and frightening. _A gallows kiss._ The thought flitted through Levi's mind, and he was pulling back to look into Eren's eyes, the first creeping wisps of fear worming into his chest. The yokai could see what Levi was thinking, even without his mate's voice in his head.

 _We're going to be fine. You should be happy._ Levi was reaching up, pushing messy brown hair out of his demon's face, biting his lip with furrowed brows.

 _Why is that?_ Eren was smiling again, running a thumb over the scout's lip to get him to release it from his teeth.

 _Because after this, I'm going to claim you. I can't wait._ Levi was flushing then, pink creeping over his cheeks even as thousands of demons bore down on them.

_Well, I guess I'll have to stay alive then. Can't miss that._

"We have eyes on the horde, sirs!" Mike's voice sounded out over the din of the approaching yokai, thundering over the ground now. It was not just their cries, but the pounding of their feet shaking the earth,

"SCOUTS TO YOUR BOWS!"

Levi jolted out of his reverie, and all the scouts that had been on the ground preparing were gearing up to the top of the wall, spreading out along the surface. They were all picking up their archery weapons, some crossbows, others with standard bows. Huge chests overflowing with arrows were placed at intervals between the scouts, along with quivers mounted on the walls that were filled to the brim. The scouts were each grabbing an arrow, not yet nocking or drawing, waiting on their Captains to give the order. Now Levi's eyes were scanning the trees, and when the first of the yokai emerged, his breath caught.

_Oh, fuck._

Levi had seen hordes, had been surrounded by them, buried in scratching claws and hungry teeth. He'd seen waves of them slamming into the stones of the wall, or spreading out around the trees he was sheltering in, wailing and growling, desperate for his flesh in their jaws. The scout had probably killed thousands of yokai over the course of his life.

He'd never seen anything like this.

The horde rolled in like the tide, and as far as the eye could see, there was not earth, or grass, or forest. There were only demons, blanketing the ground, roiling towards them like the plague that they were.

"Fire at will! Take out as many as you can!" Levi was glad that Mike had found his voice, because his own was lost somewhere in his throat at the sight before him. He was worried about his men, wondering if they would be frozen and unable to fight.

But then the arrows came down like rain, yokai falling underneath them to be trampled by their brethren. There was no discernible difference in numbers, but the scouts were not hesitating. They drew again and again, letting their arrows fly into the sea of demons. It was impossible to aim with so many yokai moving so quickly, so some of their shots weren't fatal, but it did not matter. Shot after shot, the scouts drew and fired, drew and fired, felling them in erratic patterns throughout the horde. Eren was watching the enemies move closer, wondering how long the scouts on horseback below would wait before riding out. It would be close, whether they could move fast enough to get free before the horde was on them. Even as he thought this, Levi was shouting the order.

"RIDERS, MOVE OUT! STAY CLOSE TO THE WALLS!"

They did not need to be told twice, violently spurring their mounts to run. The horses were only too eager to comply, racing along the wall with death quite literally on their heels. The animals were fast, faster than Levi's horse to be sure, but Eren did not know if it would be enough. A wall of yokai closed in, some of them now splitting off to chase after prey that seemed within their grasp. _Maybe it is._ Eren shuddered at the thought. The ocean of demons spread out now, some still moving straight for the wall, others headed after the scouts on the ground, taking arrows intermittently from above as they sought out their next meal. The yokai did not notice when his mate had taken up a bow, but he watched as Levi drew arrow after arrow, firing into his enemies with eyes of steel. His scout had one foot up on the lip of the wall, leaning over in a way that made Eren want to snatch him back towards safety. It was beautiful to watch, his brows furrowing in concentration, shoulders flexing under his uniform, fingers holding the string with a grip that seemed too light to do anything. Yet those shafts flew unerringly into the horde, dropping demons one after another. Eren had never shot a bow before, and it seemed easy enough, but looks could be deceiving. One day he would get Levi naked and make the scout show him how to fire the weapon, would watch those muscles shift and tense in the moonlight. He shook the lust filled thoughts away, focusing on the task at hand.

The riders were splitting the horde in three, arrows thinning the numbers as they approached, but even Eren could see the truth of it. There were too many yokai, and as they drew in close the wall the scouts braced for impact.

Demons slammed into the stones, and the wall groaned under the force of it, dirt and small rocks misting into the air. The scouts were still firing arrows, even as the yokai started to climb over one another, inching up the wall. Inexorable. Inescapable. They would continue to climb and claw and force their way on top of each other, and with this many yokai, it was only a matter of time before they rolled over the top of the wall like a wave. There were three walls, but they were connected to one another with ramparts, running from one to the next. There were gaps that had retractible wooden bridges, but if the demons got on top of the walls, there was a chance they could make it to the inner village. As the stones shuddered and rocked beneath the weight of the yokai assaulting it, climbing higher and higher over a ladder of flesh and bones, realization shot through Levi like ice in his gut. If they did not do something, this wall was coming down, and the other two would follow. Mike had opened his mouth to give the order, but Levi's voice rang out first.

"INNER RIDERS TO YOUR MOUNTS! GET READY TO SPLIT THEM AGAIN!" There was a long silence, stillness, before a half dozen scouts were gearing down the the ground, mounting their horses and waiting. With a horde at their walls ready to devour them, the words he never wanted to speak were out of his mouth, spat like poison into the air.

"RAISE THE FUCKING GATES!"


	20. Wings

The inner gate opened first, rising from the earth with agonizing slowness as the mounted scouts watched, expressions unreadable. Eren thought they looked a lot like his mate, steely eyes and jaws set in harsh lines. There were too many yokai pushing against the outer gate for it to open normally, the pressure of so many demons making such a thing impossible. It would have to be blown out, and scouts were rushing to put small charges along its surface, trailing fuses with them along the ground as they moved out of the alcove between the gates and back inside the wall. The yokai was watching them flit around, striking matches, ready to destroy the very thing that kept them safe. Put themselves in danger to keep their walls from crumbling. Risking their lives to save the lives of others. Eren could not help but feel a sense a rightness. Of course his mate was here, protecting his people, fighting for their survival. It's where Eren would have been, if their roles were reversed. If only his people had been tucked inside the safety of walls, protected by scouts with steel and determination, maybe things would have gone differently for Eren. _But then you would not have Levi._ He shuddered at the thought, a thousand different destinies spinning out before him in frightening patterns. If he had not lost his mother, lost his people, would he have lived and died without his mate? Were their deaths worth his happiness, worth an eternity spent with Levi?

Eren did not know, shoving the dark threads in his mind away with a growl. His people were dead, bones turned to dust in the earth, but Levi was here, now. In danger, thousands of demons screaming for his blood, pounding on the gates demanding entry. 

Entry they were about to be granted.

When he shook himself from his reverie he saw motion out of the corner of his eyes, and his heart sank into his guts as he watched Levi gearing down the ground and mounting his horse. Eren was leaping down after him, running towards the scout with terror rushing through his veins.

_Levi, what the fuck are you doing? Why aren't you staying on the walls? After you let them in can't your people just take them out with their arrows? There's no need for you to be down here, it's dangerous!_

"Light the fuses, and get the fuck back! Everyone ready!" His mate's voice rang out in the air, but not in his mind. Levi didn't look at him, didn't answer him while cadets ran forward, matches coming to life in their hands as they leaned down to ignite the charges. The yokai grabbed Jiyuu's reins, jerking the mount to a stop and forcing his mate to acknowledge him. Those ocean gray eyes met his, burning with resolve as fire ate up those long strings, death and chaos inevitable when it reached the gate.

_Levi. You can't be down here. Why are any of you down here at all? Just use your archers to kill them all!_

_We may not be able to get the gate closed again. If we can't, we'll be in the same position, yokai on top of the walls, threatening to knock it down. If we don't take out as many as we can, the riders won't make it to Wall Rose. They can't run along Wall Maria, the scouts along the edges are already dealing with lost patrols and are short on men. We have to lead them to the inner walls where the Garrison troops are waiting, and there's nothing to shoot our gear into. Either they outrun the horde, split it and get to Rose, or they kill enough of the demons and make it possible to maneuver, or they get eaten by yokai. Some of the scouts will stay on the walls firing arrows, but we need men on the ground here. The more we keep from following them, the more likely they will get to the inner walls alive._ Eren looked around, noticing more and more scouts climbing into their saddles, while the rest were nocking arrows and aiming their bows down towards the inner gate.

 _You can kill them from the walls, Levi. Don't do this._ Levi shook his head, mouth set in a grim line as he tugged his reins free.

 _Not as many as I can kill with my blades down here. I will stay close to wall. If things get bad, I'll gear up there and start shooting arrows. It's fine._ It wasn't fine, and Levi could see that his yokai wanted to argue, but he did not get the chance. An explosion rocked the ground, smaller than the one that had claimed the lives of so many scouts, but loud enough that Eren was covering his sensitive ears and cringing. Wood splintered out from the wall, shards of stone flying along with them as the gate turned into dust.

Then the demons poured in like the tide, screaming and growling as they rushed at the scouts on the ground. The riders who were headed towards the inner wall took off in three directions, some headed straight towards Rose, others heading northeast and southeast to spread the horde out as much as they could. When Eren came to his senses he saw his mate riding after them, cutting through yokai left and right, heads flying from their bodies as his blades struck true. Then the yokai was running, pulling his own steel and slicing his way towards Levi. Fear shot into his chest as he saw a yokai make a leap for his mate, poised to tackle him into the earth, only to be struck down by an arrow through the skull from the walls. Eren hazarded a glance up there, but it was impossible to determine where it came from. The yokai noticed Levi's man from the south gate, Jean, riding near his captain, sword dripping red with gore. _Good._ It was only then that he saw Mikasa on the ground, cleaving through skulls and tearing out throats with her teeth. She still had some fight in her, even exhausted and battle weary. Eren was not surprised, had watched her fight for days without sleep. Her eyes were on Jean, and the demons she slayed were without fail those that strayed too near the scout. Eren found himself smirking as his sword bit into flesh, rolling along the ground to knock yokai into the dirt and finish them before they found their footing again. When the demons began to swarm around him he leapt into the air, using their heads as stepping stones to find a more open area in which to fight.

He heard the other scout captain calling for his men to close the gate, that they had let enough of the beasts in to relieve the pressure on the walls. It began to grind down, and as Eren watched he began to wonder if they would be able to close it with so many yokai trying to shove their way in. It finally slammed shut, the bodies of demons twisted beneath it, trying to claw their way out from under its weight. Levi's shout drew him out of his reverie, and when Eren turned to look for his mate he saw a yokai had climbed up on Jiyuu's back and was trying to bite out the scout's throat. Eren's feet were flying forward, but there were too many yokai in the way. He struck out with his steel and jumped into the air, trying to climb over towards his scout, to no avail. Eren's blade broke in half when he swung a few inches too high, cleaving deep into a demon's skull but snapping the sword in two. He tossed the useless remnant to the ground with a curse. Levi and Jean could barely maneuver their horses, all the demons surging around them, trying to pull them to the ground. Another arrow flew down, burying itself in the brain of the yokai that was after his mate. Levi just glanced up at the top of the wall and nodded his thanks, shoving the corpse off his saddle with a disgusted expression. There were a half dozen scouts still on their horses, the rest having sought the safety of the walls when the horde became too thick around them. The riders that had taken off towards the wall were long gone, and Eren began to wonder why his mate was not flying to the safety of the ramparts.

When the yokai looked towards his scout, he saw him fumbling with his grips to fire his mounts at the top of the wall and breathed a sigh of relief. Until he saw steel arc out, another scouts gear misfiring, grappling hook slamming into the side of Levi's head. _Fuck, no, Levi..._ Blood shot from the wound, too much of it, a river, and Levi's eyes fell shut as he went limp in his saddle, gravity trying to pull him towards the ground. 

"LEVI!" Eren had screamed it, but he was not the only one. Jean, along with the rest of the scouts on horseback, were all fighting through yokai, trying to get to their captain before he fell to the earth and was devoured. Eren was jumping into the air, clawing over demons, desperate to get to his mate. When Levi began to list from his saddle, Eren realized he would be too late. There was no way he could wade through this ocean of yokai before they swallowed his mate whole. _Fuck this._ The yokai brought his right hand up to his mouth, sinking his teeth into the knuckle of his thumb with a growl.

Black wings erupted from Eren's back, tearing through his clothes, and all the scouts on the wall and the ground gasped in horror as he soared towards Levi. The appendages were larger than he was, and they knocked yokai to the earth with every flap, the force of the air they displaced sending the demons flying. Eren could not render himself invisible in this form, could not hide himself from the sight of Levi's men, which is why he had not used them before. Izanami forbade her yokai from revealing themselves carelessly. Right now, he did not care if the whole world saw him. His mate was in danger, and fuck everything and everyone else, he had to get to Levi. Eren reached his mate in seconds flat, snatching his slack form from the saddle and pulling him into his arms before he shot higher into the air, out of reach of the clawing ferals below. _Levi._ Blood was gushing from the wound on the scout's head, Levi's already pale skin going white and cold. Eren had to get his blood into his mate, had to heal him, had to do it now. An arrow embedded itself into the top of his left wing, and he shot a glare at the archers on the wall. It did not hurt, or cause any real damage, but they couldn't know such a thing. What if he had dropped their leader into the mouths of a hundred yokai?

"What the fuck is wrong with you, he has the Captain, you fucking idiot! If he drops Levi, he's dead!" 

Jean was atop the ramparts now, shouting at the scout that had fired the arrow, shaking him by his collar before throwing him onto the stones. Well, someone had some sense. Eren saw Mikasa standing next to Jean, invisible and even bloodier than before. All the scouts on the ground had now made their way to the ramparts, horses fleeing the demons below. A couple of them had not been so lucky, and archers picked off groups of yokai as they fed on the mounts, wet sounds making their stomachs turn. He flew over to where Mikasa was resting, landing near her with a thud and sitting down with Levi spread out across his lap. The eyes of every scout were on them now that the threat below was no danger to any of their men, and they nocked arrows and drew on Eren, but did not fire. There were whispers all around, _he's a deviant, he has wings, look at his horns and tail, they're different, he's not eating the captain, what is he doing, what does he want...._

"Get your fucking hands off our Captain, you goddamned yokai fuck!" It was Jean who spoke, drawing his slick, red blade on Eren with a hiss. The yokai noticed he was favoring his right arm, and only then saw the vicious wound there. Jean had been bitten by a feral yokai, and with all the gore and yokai blood dripping off him, he would normally be starting to turn soon. A bite was not always contagious, but if the wound was contaminated with yokai blood, you were fucked. _Guess it's his lucky day._ Eren growled at them all as he bit into his hand again to reopen the wound. He pried Levi's jaws apart with his fingers, dripping his blood inside while he bared his teeth at the scouts. If they shot any of those arrows Eren could block them with his wings, but that did not mean he wouldn't tear the archer who fired it into pieces for putting his mate at risk. Levi's wound was not closing, color not returning to his cheeks. Eren's blood should heal his human mate of any injuries, so long as Levi was alive. His scouts chest rose and fell, breathing shallow and ragged but present.

"Mikasa, draw your wings out and stand between us. I need to get more of my blood in Levi before I take him away from here. He's not healing yet." The few scouts that were close enough to hear started yelling, moving closer and pulling their arrows back further at his words. _You're not taking him anywhere, don't put your fucking blood in him, we'll kill you..._ Their loyalty was admirable, but Eren didn't have the energy to deal with them. Mikasa bit down on her lip until it oozed red, her smaller wings shooting out as she moved between Eren and Levi and the scouts. More shouts erupted at when she became visible to the men, but Eren just ignored them, eyes on his mate. _C'mon, Levi._ Instead of looking better, Levi looked worse, breathing going even more shallow. Then he began to seize in the yokai's arms. _No, no, Levi, no...._ It stopped as soon as it had started, leaving the scout dangerously still. Eren pulled his wrist up to his mouth, savaging it with his teeth until blood poured from the wound like a fountain. He shoved it into Levi's mouth, filing it up until it oozed over the edge, pouring down his cheeks, his throat. Yet he did not move. Did not speak. Did not wake.

"Eren..." Mikasa's voice sounded wary. The scouts were edging closer, growing antsy. Eren ignored her.

"Levi, c'mon, _please._ Don't do this to me. Don't leave me here." Only when pinpoints of clean skin started to appear through the wash of red on Levi's face did Eren realize he was crying, sobbing, body shaking with it. His tears mixing with his blood, streaming down into Levi's uniform. Eren's wings were drawing in, seeking to shield his mate from harm instinctively. The scouts looked confused at the sight, some deviant yokai they had never seen the likes of keening over the body of their captain. Eren did not care. These walls could fall down, all the people within devoured by devils, and it would not matter to the yokai. All that mattered was his mate, who lay broken and still in his arms. "Levi, fuck, please. I need you." Eren felt knives in his chest, pain like he'd never experienced before lancing open his veins, pulling out his heart, gutting him inside. Dying. His mate was dying.

Then Levi coughed, spatters of red flying from his mouth as his throat finally swallowed Eren's blood down. Those slate blue eyes blinked open, the wound on his forehead sealing up before Eren's eyes. His brow furrowed as he reached up to his yokai's cheek, wiping at the tears there with a frown.

"Why are you crying, Eren?" The yokai sobbed even harder, pulling Levi tight against him, rocking him back and forth. He tried to speak, but couldn't get any words out through the broken sounds he was making. "Eren, it's okay....." Long moments passed before Eren managed to reply, pulling back to gaze into his mate's eyes.

"Y-you were dead, Levi. You were dying. I thought I lost you." Levi opened his mouth to answer, only to be cut off as Eren kissed him, burying their mouths together with a groan. It was the gallows kiss all over again, desperate and hungry. When Eren released his mate's lips he was breathless, but Levi was blinking, sleepy and exhausted.

"I'm not dead. I'm just... tired..." Eren ran his bloody fingers through his mate's hair, pulling him up into his arms, rubbing their faces together.

"Shhh, it's okay. Rest now." Levi's eyes fell shut, and Eren just held him close for awhile, oblivious to the world around him until Mikasa spoke up.

" _Eren._ " He looked up, scouts bows drawn and ready, eyes glinting with fire.

"Go down there and clear out as many yokai as you can. Let them watch you. Then I want you to lose the wings and find out how many of these men have been bitten. Give them your blood whether they like it or not. I don't want any of Levi's men turning feral. Especially that one." Eren pointed to Jean, causing the scout to bristle and glare.

"What are you going to do?" Eren stood up, breathing in the scent of his mate, brushing at Levi with wings that were pulled in tight.

"I'm taking Levi to the river to clean him up, then we're going to Izanami's ruins. He's had too much of my blood, when he wakes up he'll be in a heat. The threat here is passed for the time being." His eyes were full of love as he brushed his scouts hair back from his face. "It's time I claimed my mate."

Eren crouched before he leapt into the air.

Black wings carried them away into the trees, the shouts of Levi's men fading in the distance.

 

........................................................

There was a throne in the main room of the Inner Hall, where all the official functions and gatherings were held. It sat on an elevated platform, banners adorning the wall behind it, thick rugs spreading out underneath. The Chieftains of old used to hold court from it, seated in their glorified chair and ruling as though they were kings, their words law, their judgement infallible. Leven avoided it like the plague. The damn thing was incredibly uncomfortable, the bright red cushions old and thin, back climbing absurdly high behind him. Who needed a chair with a back that was six feet tall, lions carved in the wood of the arms, making it impossible to rest your own without sharp designs digging into your flesh? Certainly not Leven. When his brother had been Chieftain, the man had lived on that throne, drinking and shouting and whoring from his perch on high. Not that there was anything wrong with that as far as Leven was concerned, Levi wouldn't even exist if the man had thought he was above such things, but details were important.

How much you drank. What you were shouting. How you treated your whores.

Leven's brother had managed to fuck up the lot of them, drinking himself into a stupor, screaming profanities at all his advisors, beating the girls he had brought to the hall to within an inch of their lives. Prostitution was not illegal in Mitras, and it was regulated closely for the protection of the workers, but no brothel owner with any sense could refuse to send his women when the Chieftain called. Not if they wanted to keep their doors open, keep food on their plates and a roof over their heads. When he had gone to a nearby settlement and never returned, leaving Leven behind to rule the village, it had not just been the whores who were relieved. Everyone in Mitras had been overjoyed to be free of his brother's reign of terror. Other than Leven's nephew that is, who was now serving in the Military Police instead of preparing to take over the throne. 

The throne that Leven hated with every fiber of his being. Yet now with smoke billowing into the air, signaling that all their nightmares were coming true, he rested on it with a heavy heart. The previous Chieftain had used it to establish his power, a visual representation of the total control he exerted over his people. Leven sat there as a reminder of the burdens he bore, to feel the weight of the responsibilities that rested on his shoulders. Every life in Mitras, every man woman and child, all of them looking to him for answers. Right now with a horde at the walls and enemies in the trees, he did not have them. His men were dying in the woods, his gates falling to yokai, his people cowering in their shelters praying that the scouts and the garrison troop and the MP's would save them. Leven was cowering in his own way, useless now that he had conferred with Pixis and his commanders and advisors. Everyone was gone, rushing off to ready their men and see to the civilians. Fortify their defenses, prepare supplies, make sure nothing was forgotten or left undone in the face of the threats bearing down on them.

So here Leven sat on his worthless throne, and instead of trying to determine how he could best help his people, he was thinking of Levi. His son was stationed at the south gate, but Leven knew him better than that. As soon as those flares lit the sky, that boy would be riding straight into the fray, swords out and eyes on fire. That's just who Levi was, and though worry ate at his chest, there was nothing to be done. The scout would be fighting with his men until the threat had passed, and when the dust settled around them he would still be standing. Always had been. Always would be.

Leven was smiling when he felt steel pressed to his throat, a trickle of blood leaking out where it sliced into his skin. He did not turn his head to see who it was, did not need to, and when they spoke he was not surprised.

"Why, hello brother."

"Hey there, Kenny. Long time no see."


	21. Underneath The Stars

Floating here like this with you  
underneath the stars.  
Alight for thirteen billion years,  
the view is beautiful  
and ours alone tonight.

Underneath the stars.

Spinning round and round with you,  
watching shadows melt the light,  
soft shining from our eyes  
into. Another space  
is ours alone tonight.  
Watching shadows melt.

And the waves break.  
And the waves break.

Whisper in my ear a wish.  
'We could drift away'  
Held tight your voice inside my head.  
The kiss is infinite,  
and ours alone tonight.

'We could drift away.'

Flying here, like this with you,  
underneath the stars alight.  
For thirteen billion years  
the view is beautiful and  
ours alone tonight.

Underneath the stars.

And everything gone,  
and all still to come,  
is nothing to us,  
together as one.  
In each other's arms,  
so near and so far.  
Forever as now,  
underneath the stars.

And the waves break.

[-The Cure, Underneath The Stars (Renholder Remix)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmwu9tH1Pjg)

 

 

Eren soared over the treetops, the weight of his mate in his arms a tangible thing as he felt the wind in his wings for the first time in centuries. He had flown thousands of times, yet it had never been so wonderful as it was with Levi's scent in his nose, the scout held close against him. An unmated yokai like himself could not pull out his wings in the nightlands, and though he could do so at Izanami's shrine, there was no real place to fly. Not like this. Now Eren carried Levi towards the river near the ruins, eager to wash the blood and filth from his mate. The last thing he wanted was for the scout to wake up in a heat, desperate for Eren and covered in yokai gore. When the waters came in sight, he brought them down to the riverbank, wings carrying them gently to the ground. Eren landed in a crouch, black wings pulling in tight around Levi of their own volition, as though they, too, yearned to touch him. He might have been able to withdraw them into himself if he tried, but they felt too good open, free to spread wide after so long held within him. Until they returned to Levi's village Eren would leave them out, stretch them, move them. The yokai also wanted to feel his mate's hands on them, had yearned for it for millennia.

He kicked off his filthy pants, having lost the scraps of his shirt when his wings burst forth. After tugging off Levi's own clothes with slow, deliberate movements, Eren waded into the river with his mate. The yokai brought one huge wing forward, wrapping it under Levi's sleeping form to help support his weight in the current. For long moments Eren just stared at the scout, cradled with his wing as the waters ran over him, curled into the yokai's side. He could spend ages this way, watching Levi rest nestled in those raven feathers. 

They had woken up somewhat late, for Levi anyway, and ridden hard to make it to the west wall. After fighting the horde and flying out here deep in the forest, it was well into the afternoon. The sun would be down before Levi rose from his slumber, brought on by Eren's blood to heal his wounds, inside and out. He had lost men today, over a dozen of them. More, if any of the riders had been lost outside the walls or on their way to Rose. The west barracks had burned to the ground with Levi's scouts inside, and at least one squad at the eastern gate had been taken by enemies in the trees. His mate's people had seen him spirited away by a black winged yokai with feline eyes, and probably thought they would not lay eyes on their captain ever again. There had never been a worse time for Levi to be away from his people than that moment, but when he woke he would be lost to Eren's blood in him, mired in a heat. The yokai could try to fight it, finish Levi some other way, subdue his instincts until the problems in his Mitras were settled.

But Eren was tired of fighting.

He wanted his mate, wanted him _now._ Wanted to feel Levi writhing beneath him. More than that, though, Eren needed the scout to be strong. The yokai had watched Levi bleed out, so close to death that he'd heard the scout's heart stuttering in his chest. Once Eren had claimed his mate, Izanami's blessing would be on him. It would take a few days, and several matings, before Levi grew his horns, his tail, his wings, but the strength of their Lady's favor would take effect immediately. Eren would not have to worry about his mate being devoured by yokai, or bleeding out from a wound. Very few things could kill them, and short of beheading or preternatural flames, Levi would be safe.

So if his people were being assailed by demons, their buildings eaten by fire, their walls invaded by traitors.... Eren did not care. He would protect his mate first. Once Levi had started the change, they could go back to help his village.

For now, he ran his hands over the dried blood on Levi's skin, his chest, his neck. Scrubbing at it, letting the river wash everything away. The yokai threaded his fingers through the scout's dark hair, careful not to let his face go under the water as he combed it, cleaning the gore and sweat from the strands. Eren was meticulous, cleaning the dirt out from under his mate's fingernails, washing his feet, his legs, his hands, his arms. Every inch of him shining and perfect. When the yokai was done he folded his other wing around underneath the scout, freeing his hands to scrub his own hair, rinse off his face, clean the taste of blood from his mouth. Levi's clothes were a bloody, ragged mess, but his cloak was salvageable. Eren soaked it in the river, scouring all the filth out of it that he could in its cold waters. The yokai wrapped up Levi's gear, boots and canteen in the dark green fabric, looping the bundle over his arm as he took to the air again. He could have walked to the ruins, they were not incredibly far, but flying would dry his feathers. And it just felt _good,_ a power unleashed after sleeping for so long.

When Eren descended to the circle of ancient stones, he smiled. No yokai would come within miles of this place, not at their Lady's ruins, one of Izanami's demons in his winged form with a human mate in a heat. They would sense it, smell it, know instinctively that it would be their death if they drew too near. He landed in front of the altar, holding his mate close as he looked around. It had only been a few days since Levi had staggered out to these stones, drunk and cursing his fate. Pulling Eren through the mists of the nightlands with the desire for his mate. One the scout had not known he even possessed. A handful of days, yet it felt like another lifetime. All his life, Levi would've felt that something was missing, just as Eren had. Incomplete, not understanding why. But Levi had lived for only a few decades.

Eren had felt that empty place inside for thousands of years. Aching. Hollow. 

Had known exactly which part of himself he needed. A human that had not even been born while Eren wasted away in darkness year after year, century after century. The sheer magnitude of how long he had _waited_ still left him reeling.

Now when Levi woke up, Eren would be made whole. It felt too good to be true, like waking up from a dream that you were positive was real only to find it a nightmare instead. The demon took out Levi's canteen and set it on the stone so it would be nearby when the scout rose. The yokai pulled his left wing around to the side as he crawled onto the altar, spreading the dark feathers out and laying his mate over them. He lay on them as well, his wing easily wide enough for the both of them to stretch out atop, though it twisted at a somewhat awkward angle. Levi was drugged into a healing sleep with Eren's blood, but the yokai had given up quite a lot of it in the process. Exhaustion sank through him, and he found himself glad that his mate would be resting for awhile. 

Eren brought his right wing over the two of them, blanketing them both in the safety of his feathers. The yokai felt his own eyes closing, sleep crawling over him, claiming him. When Levi's eyes blinked open the scout would be healed, and clean, and warm, tucked inside his mate's wings, protected from the whole world.

When the lust shot through his mate like fire Eren would set him free, and Levi would be _his._

...................................................................

 

Levi swam up from his dreams in a daze, body coming awake before before anything else. The scout was sleeping on something soft, softer than any blanket he'd ever felt. He ran his fingers over it, trying to decide what it was. It was not fur, or cotton, or wool. _Feathers._ Levi pried his lids apart, the night around them shining with moonlight, only to have his breath catch in his chest. Eren was there, pressed up against him, arms clinging to Levi tight..... huge black wings surrounding them both. They emerged from the yokai's shoulders, one stretching around him to cover the stones Levi was laying on. The other blanketed them, tucked in close to the scout's skin, moving just slightly with each breath Eren took. Warm. Alive. Somehow, Levi was not surprised by them. It seemed.... right. Like these wings had been missing the entire time. As though Eren had been naked without them. He ran his fingers over the dark feathers, silken and soft underneath his touch. The yokai shuddered in his sleep as though he could feel it. 

Levi looked at Eren's sleeping face, trying to piece together what had occurred. He remembered fighting the horde, and he had been about to gear up to the wall when everything went black. There were flashes of memory then, Eren crying over him saying he was dead, Levi wiping away his tears. His men in the background, shouting, screaming. Then nothing. Darkness. What had happened to his people? Had they failed? Was his village overrun with feral yokai even now?

"Eren." As he said his yokai's name Levi began to feel strange, heat pooling in his gut, skin warm, cheeks flushing. The scout brushed Eren's hair from his eyes, touched his cheeks. "Eren. Wake up." The yokai stirred, brow furrowing as his arm pulled the scout even closer. "Eren. Hey. C'mon, wake up." Those slitted, jewel bright eyes blinked open, and a slow smile broke out on the demon's face.

"Levi." 

"What happened to me? What happened to my men?" Even as he asked, he found himself pressing tighter to the demon, biting his lip at the feel of their skin sliding together. The yokai reached out and snagged Levi's canteen, removing the lid and handing it over to the scout. He drank from it while he listened to Eren speak, draining half of the liquid in one gulp and putting back on the stone.

"A scout's gear misfired when you were on horseback, hit you in the head. I pulled out my wings and snatched you up before the yokai could get you. Can't hide myself in this form, so your men are probably going to have some questions for you when we go back. I gave you some of my blood, healed you up but..." Pain flashed through his gaze, stark and undeniable. "I thought you were dying. Fuck, I've never been so terrified." Levi was running his hands over Eren's face, trying to clear those shadows from his eyes. The scout wrapped his leg around the yokai without realizing it, rutting against him even as worry filled his mind. He slowly became aware that they were both naked, and felt joy fill him for reasons he could not fathom.

"Wh-what... what about my men?"

"I can't say for sure that your riders are all okay, but everyone on the wall is fine. The gate is closed, and Mikasa stayed behind to help clear the yokai, along with your archers. Jean was bitten, but Mikasa will have given him blood by now, so he won't turn yokai. None of the men on the west wall will go feral." Levi was panting now, arousal shooting hard between them as he bit back a moan, rubbing his face against those black feathers. His thoughts were starting to twist strangely in his mind.

"Your wings are fucking beautiful Eren." His brow furrowed in confusion. Levi hadn't meant to say that, but it flowed through his brain and out of his mouth. "What's... what the fuck is wrong with me? Haaahh... Eren, I... I'm..." He was _desperate,_ needy and full of want, fists clenching and unclenching.

"You're in a heat. It's from drinking so much of my blood. If you needed that much to be healed, it means you were in grave danger, and you need to be changed. The blood is calling the heat out so I can claim you. Make you mine. Make you strong." The scout whined, lust thick in his veins. There was some reason that Eren had not claimed him yet, but he could not pull it through the murk of his memories. Didn't want to. Levi wanted this yokai inside him more than he'd ever wanted anything.

"C-can you? Will you?" Levi suddenly pressed his mouth to Eren's, tongue darting out to lick at the seam of his lips. He placed hungry kisses there, grinding against the yokai with a moan, hands fisting in the feathers above them, tugging at them, pulling Eren's wing in close. "P-please, Eren. N-now. I love you. I want you. Please, t-take me." When Levi shoved his mouth against Eren's again, the demon opened it willingly, rolling over on top of his mate as their tongues twined together. They got lost in each other for long moments, the scouts hands running up and down Eren's skin, the yokai greedy for every touch. He finally pulled back, brushing raven hair back from Levi's eyes, running his fingers across the scout's lips as his mate whimpered at the loss of the yokai's mouth.

"Yes, we can. I love you too, little mate. I want you forever." 

A needy groan came out of Levi as he thrust his hips up against the yokai, and then their mouths were slanting together again, messy and desperate. But it was not enough, Eren needed to mark his mate, needed to paint his lust across that pale skin in shades of purple and blue. The yokai moved his lips down to Levi's throat, sucking the flesh into his mouth with a growl. When it was dark and beautiful under his kiss Eren sank his teeth into the skin, feeling his mate jerk and moan beneath his bite.

"Eren, _please._ "

Levi loved the way Eren's teeth felt in his neck, but he needed more. His hands clung desperately everywhere they touched, Eren's hair, his face, the feathers of his wings. Trying to get him closer when they were already pressed together, skin on skin. Something inside of Levi was breaking open, and he needed Eren to fill him up, piece him back together. The scout wrapped his legs around the yokai's waist, rutting up into Eren, grinding against his throbbing length. There were tears in his eyes, and Levi was sure that if he did not have this yokai in him soon he would disappear into nothingness, dissolve into mist on the winds. The scout fought down a sob, but he could not clear the gravel from his voice.

"Eren, fuck, _PLEASE._ " Eren released his bite, pulling back to look at Levi with furrowed brows. The yokai's gaze went wide as he watched tears fall down his mate's cheeks. He wiped them away, face a mask of concern. The yokai had not realized the heat was already surging this strongly through the scout.

"Oh, Levi, I'm sorry. Don't cry." 

Eren kissed his mate as he reached down to spread Levi's thighs wide, easing two of fingers inside him. It was slick where normal humans would not be, a demon's mate readying itself instinctively, eager to be claimed. When Eren's digits slid within the scout, Levi let out a debauched sound into his mate's mouth that split the night around them. The scout's nails were digging viciously into the skin of Eren's back just underneath where his wings emerged, and the yokai relished every one of them. Eren was swallowing his little mate whole, tasting his mouth, his tongue, his teeth as he scissored his fingers inside Levi. He would not have hurt the scout if he had not prepared him this way, the heat would have made sure of it, but Eren needed him boneless, moaning, wanting. The yokai began thrusting his fingers in and out of Levi, and the scout threw his head back in ecstasy.

"Nnnggh... E-Eren..." 

Eren kissed Levi's cheek, down his neck, across his collarbones. The yokai licked and sucked and nipped, dusting the skin there with bite marks and bruises as Levi writhed under him. When Eren curled his fingers just right, his mate went tense, everything in him strung tight. And then he was coming, white roped of fluid shooting up between them, and the yokai stared, enraptured. Eren had watched Levi climax before, but it was still the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, skin flushing bright, teeth bared, brows furrowed as he gasped and moaned. The yokai leaned up to pour his words into the scout's ear.

"You're so beautiful, little mate. I could watch you come all night long." Levi was shaking his head.

"Probably not. I don't think I'd be up for it." Eren smiled, closing his fist around his mate's erection, still hard and throbbing despite his orgasm. Levi groaned and looked down at it, wide eyed.

"You're not like you used to be, love. You're a demon's mate now. So long as you still want it, our bodies will rise to the occasion." The scout's eyes rolled back into his head as he rocked into Eren's touch.

"Oh, fuck, Eren." Levi began to feel heat flowing through him again, sharp desperation climbing up his spine. If anything it was worse now that he had come.

"Yes. We will."

Eren pushed his mate's thighs back, taking himself in hand and rubbing the crown of his shaft over Levi's entrance. He leaned in, taking the scout's mouth as he eased himself in, inch by inch, agonizingly slowly. Levi was making wanton sounds, high and breathy, and he was not ashamed. Did not have it in him anywhere. Was too full of rampant desire to feel anything but grateful. When the yokai was seated fully inside his mate he felt a rush of power, flowing from him into Levi and back again, swirling between them. Making them whole. Eren shuddered right along with his scout, foreheads pressed against each other, bodies quaking as they were bound as one. Sealed together with more than flesh, and Eren was growling at the rightness of it.

Thousands of years of destiny, crashing down over them in waves.

"Haahhh... Love you, little mate. M-mine. You're mine now." Levi was nodding against Eren's skin, hands running through the feathers of his wings.

"W-was, already. Me, t-too. Love you, Eren."

_He loves me._

Eren sat up with Levi in his lap, still buried between his thighs as he pulled his mate's legs around his waist. The yokai's tail snaked behind the scout's back, curving back over his stomach to wrap around Levi's cock. He shuddered at the feel of his yokai gripping him tight, and then Eren was pulling Levi's hands up to his neck. He brought their lips together, slow and sweet, before pulling back.

"Hold on tight, little mate. I promise I won't drop you."

Then Eren began flapping his wings and they were lifting up into the air, every motion of the appendages causing the demon to rock into Levi's tight heat. Levi was clinging to Eren instinctively, groaning at the feel of the yokai sliding in and out of him as they soared towards the sky. After awhile they stopped climbing, and Eren's wings kept them hovering in place over the trees, forest spread out beneath them as the yokai moved inside his mate.

"Ffffuck, Eren..." Levi's fingers were threaded together behind Eren's neck, legs tight around his waist. The yokai's tail wrapped behind the scout's back, holding him tight, the rest of it coiled around Levi's arousal, squeezing, stroking. Eren eased his arms down from Levi's back to grip his hips and start moving in earnest. His mate was breathless, glancing around them in awe for the barest of moments before locking stares with his yokai. 

The stars were brilliant in the sky, the night a masterpiece around them, and even soaring through the darkness held aloft by raven wings, Levi could not tear his eyes away to look at it.

"This is how we are meant to mate, little love. Under Izanami's sky, the earth an afterthought beneath us. When you have your wings, it will be even better." Levi wanted to to argue, could not form the words. Let them twist through his mind instead, knowing they would reach his mate.

_It can't be any better. It's perfect._

_You're right. It is._

It was harder to thrust into his mate this way, wings working to keep them in the air, nothing to hold him steady, but Eren didn't care. The yokai took his mate's mouth, pounding into Levi, tail relentless on the scout's shaft as the wind rushed through Eren's feathers. Maybe it should have been cold, but the warmth of Levi's heat kept it at bay. The yokai never released his mate's lips, held them together, needed them more than he needed air to breathe. He felt his little mate tensing in his arms, moaning into their kiss, and when Levi came again his seed fell to the ground, scattered like forgotten pearls. Eren felt himself drawing close at the sight, body shivering and jerking, and he wondered for a moment if his wings would fail him. They did not, beating against the sky as he shot into Levi, filling him. Making them whole. 

The yokai brought them down to the ground, spreading his dark feathers across Izanami's altar and laying his mate down on them gently, as though he would break. Eren took Levi again and again. For hours and hours. Until their lips were red and swollen from relentless kisses. Until the yokai's wings ached from being pressed beneath them. Until their shafts were sore and throbbing from climaxing over and over. Levi's throat was bloody from Eren's teeth, the scout's voice raw from moaning out his name. Every part of them felt bruised and wrecked and so fucking perfect.

When sleep finally took them Eren was still buried inside his mate, one wing pulled down tight over them, protecting them from the world. With voices whispering softly against each other's skin they professed their love again, more true than it had ever been underneath the gentle weight of the yokai's feathers. With the last threads of consciousness, the scout hoped he woke up before Eren, before the sun began to come up in the east.

It was a long time until sunrise, and Levi could not wait to see the light of dawn play out over Eren's face.

His mate would put those rays to shame.


	22. Bite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Multiship warning. There is no ereri here. This is a winmin/jeankasa chapter. If that's not your thing you can skip this chapter, and the next one, and I will summarize any important happenings for you once the ereri returns. Just letting you know since I know I have some anti winmin readers and that m/f is not necessarily your thing. We'll be back in business chapter after next.

When three horses with no riders passed Erwin, only bloody saddles and their instincts driving them to familiar stables, he felt his chest seize up with fear. The little blonde yokai was probably so far ahead of him that he would never catch up, and these animals were a testament to even more loss. Hange's men in the trees, these riders who gave their lives to keep the walls up, who knows how many scouts lost to the horde at the west gate. After so long without losing a single man, now everything was crumbling around him, under his command. Each and every one of these deaths was on his hands, enough blood spilled by his words to drown him. So when he saw the dark sea of yokai bearing down on him, Erwin did not ride towards the walls, or ready his gear. He pulled out his sword and headed into them, full of rage at himself and the need for vengeance against these mindless monsters that had taken so much from him. Demons surged around the  
commander like the tide, and his steel sliced through them as though they were made of air, heads rolling beneath him, his horse stumbling over the bodies that fell in his wake. Clawed hands scratched at him, seeking purchase on his mount, his clothes, trying to tug themselves closer and get their mouths on his flesh. Eternally hungry, even as their stomachs burst open, unable to fit any more of his people inside. Soon his horse could no longer move, was panicking as the yokai caged her in with sheer numbers. Erwin released her reins to draw his other blade, clinging to the saddle with his legs as he swung wildly into their midst.

He felt vicious teeth sink into his thigh, filthy and contagious, and when he reached down to jerk the yokai's face away it took a mouthful of him with it. Erwin did not slice this ones head off. The blonde twisted it, blinded by fury, until it came loose with a sickening pop, and he threw it at its brethren with a shout. They were on his horse now, tearing out her throat, and her legs began to give out underneath her. One of Erwin's blades snapped off as it impacted a yokai skull, and he did not have a chance to change his blade before a demon leapt at his face.

Then he was rising, arms wrapped around his chest, yokai clinging to him as he was lifted into the air. They dropped off one by one, unable to keep their hold, and Erwin looked up with wide eyes to see his little blonde yokai, red wings spreading out behind his back and a serious look on his face.

"You can fly." Even as he said the words, he felt stupid. The yokai's expression was wry, _of fucking course I can,_ and then he laughed.

"I thought you were smart, Commander." The demon was sailing over the mass of ferals, taking them towards the wall where he set them down, Erwin landing on his ass in a heap. "You could've just used your gear, gotten to the wall. Levi is fine, I can feel it. Why would you ride to your death, for no reason? Stupid humans." Armin was tearing the fabric away from the yokai bite on the bigger blonde's thigh, frowning at it.

"That bite's been contaminated. You should have let them have me. Now I'll have to make you cut my head off before I go feral." Erwin said this calmly, as though they were discussing the weather instead of his imminent demise. Then the yokai bit into his wrist and held it out to the commander, a trickle of red leaking down his mouth.

"Drink it." Erwin's eyes widened in shock and he was shaking his head fiercely. "If you drink my blood, you won't turn feral. My Lady hates those yokai, and all of her children can reverse the infection with their blood. Drink, or turn. You choose." 

Erwin eyed the yokai's wrist warily, but then he looked down at the ground, an ocean of feral yokai swirling beneath them. Teeth sharp and hungry. Wailing for their flesh. No matter what this demon's blood did to him, if he could keep from turning into that, it would be worth it. Erwin reached out hesitantly, and the triumph that shot through Armin's eyes as he closed his hand around the demon's wrist almost made him stop. He brought it to his mouth, closing his lips tentatively around the wound. The crimson liquid flowed over his tongue and Erwin moaned, eyes slamming shut as he latched onto the yokai's arm with vicious fingers. _Oh, God._ Nothing could taste this good. This demon's blood tasted like light and warmth and _life,_ and it set Erwin on fire inside. He did not realize what he was doing as he pulled Armin into his arms, wrapped his legs around him, fisted a hand in his hair. From miles away, Erwin heard the yokai speaking through his daze.

"You won't turn, your wound will heal, and you'll always be able to see any of Izanami's yokai. Me, Mikasa, Eren, or Levi." Erwin's mind did not even process how wrong it was to hear Levi's name among them, as one of Izanami's demons. Just lapped at this little yokai's wrist with a desperate mouth. "There's one other side effect, but I suppose you've figured that out already." Erwin finally managed to drag his eyes open, meet Armin's gaze as he released his wrist, panting, red fluid dripping from both their mouths now. He was just now hearing the things Armin had said about the consequences of drinking his blood.

"Another side effect?" Erwin looked at his position now, how he had tangled himself up with this yokai, and Armin put a hand on his knee, easing it down his thigh. Lust shot through him, sharp and potent, and he bit back a moan at that little hand so close to his arousal, throbbing with need now. The demon smiled, teeth sharp, eyes dancing.

" 'Bloodlust.' You could probably fight it, if you wanted to. I bet your will is strong enough." Armin straddled Erwin's hips, grinding himself against the commander's shaft, tongue darting out to lick up the blood on his lips. He leaned forward and put his mouth next to the scout master's ear, and his whisper was dark and full of honey. "But I don't think you want to. Let's not fight anymore." 

He leaned back to meet Erwin's gaze, and the commander felt his hands find the yokai's hips, fingers going tight on them as he rutted up against the little demon. No, the yokai was right.

Erwin was done fighting.

.......................................................................

Jean watched a yokai with huge black wings weep over the body of his commander, beg him, quaking with sorrow, and he was frozen. Swords in hand, archers at his back ready to fire, and yet the sight of this monster holding Levi struck a chord deep within him. There was another yokai between them, this one so covered in gore he could not see her face, her wings smaller than the other yokai's, red where his were black. Only her eyes visible through the blood and grime, daring Jean to take a single step towards Levi. He couldn't really focus on her with the yokai behind her keening, wailing, making inhuman sounds that had nothing to do with being a demon. The creature before them was a yokai, a beast, some nightmare born from shadows with horns and a tail and teeth too sharp in his mouth. Jean watched as it pulled his captain up against his chest, ran his hands over Levi's face, cried like a child, shameless and uncaring of the eyes on him. The grief in those sobs wrenched Jean's heart from his chest, and he wondered how it was possible for this yokai to feel such things for a human. To feel such things at all. Demons did not _feel._ Then Levi coughed, spraying blood out of his mouth, and the yokai looked down in awe. Jean took a step forward, could barely make out what they were saying.

"Why are you crying, Eren? Eren, it's okay..." _Eren?_ Levi was not struggling to get away from the demon, not surprised he was there. Was calling him by name, wiping tears from his eyes, and Jean felt the world spin beneath him. _What the fuck?_

"Y-you were dead, Levi. You were dying. I thought I lost you."

Then they were kissing, mouths melding together, and it was clear this was not the first time the two's lips had met. There was familiarity in it, possession, and history was being rewritten before Jean's eyes, the sun rising in the west, rivers flowing up mountains, stars falling from the sky. The demon pulled back, looking at Levi like he was all there was in the world. Jean's captain spoke, voice small and fading.

"I'm not dead. I'm just... tired..." The yokai ran his bloody fingers through Levi's hair, rubbed their faces together, so much affection in the gesture that Jean felt his heart stutter.

"Shhh, it's okay. Rest now." The captain was out now, and the female yokai spoke up, Jean and his men making her wary.

"Eren." The yokai held Levi close, standing now. When he spoke his tone brooked no argument, was full of commands. It sounded just like Levi's, and Jean found himself wanting to obey instinctively even as it was directed at someone else.

"Go down there and clear out as many yokai as you can. Let them watch you. Then I want you to lose the wings and find out how many of these men have been bitten. Give them your blood whether they like it or not. I don't want any of Levi's men turning feral. Especially that one." Then the yokai pointed straight at Jean, and he stood taller, eyes narrowing, the fight surging back into him like fire. _Over my dead fucking body._ Then his bitten arm began to ache, and he realized how true that statement might be.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm taking Levi to the river to clean him up, then we're going to Izanami's ruins. He's had too much of my blood, when he wakes up he'll be in a heat. The threat here is passed for the time being." Even from so far away, Jean could tell the yokai's eyes were full of love as he brushed the captain's hair back from his face. "It's time I claimed my mate."

None of his words made any sense to the scout, and then the yokai flew away, carrying Levi in his arms as he sailed over the trees. Before Jean could react the female yokai leapt off the wall. He had the absurd urge to stop her, tell her not to jump, to stay on the safety of the ramparts. She was a yokai, she had wings, she didn't need Jean's protection. 

Then she began slicing through feral yokai with her claws and teeth, and it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She flowed like water, pouring over and around the demons like they weren't even moving, heads rolling, blood spraying, bodies collapsing. Every now and then she would use her dark red wings, gain a little height to descend on them from above. They did not mob her as they would a human, but seemed to be afraid, wanting to flee yet held near the walls by unnatural hunger. She chased them down, and the archers of the walls did not draw on her, did not fire at her. Everyone was held captive by the sight of this yokai slicing through their enemies as though they were nothing. Jean was not sure how long they stood motionless, unable to even get enough air in their lungs as they watched her cut the horde down to nothing. It had to be almost an hour, there had been so many demons, but now they all lay dead at her feet. She looked up  
at the wall and locked eyes with Jean, and then she pulled in her wings disappeared into nothingness.

Jean felt a hand on his savaged arm and flinched, eyes going wide as he saw the yokai standing next to him, eying his bite. He tried to pull out of her grasp, heard his men calling his name as though he wasn't there. Jean glanced back at them, confused, before narrowing his gaze on the yokai.

"They can't see me. Because of you." She nodded, looking serious.

"Are any of the men here bitten besides you?" Jean shook his head, no, not sure why he was answering this yokai. Maybe it was because he knew he was dying. What did it matter if she knew he was the only one? "I'm covered in fucking yokai filth. If I give you my blood now, you're going to get a mouthful of feral blood with it, and it won't help anything. Where's water? A shower?" The bite must be making Jean lose his shit, because now nothing made sense. Give him her blood? 

"The barracks here are destroyed. The closest shower is at the south gate house. But I'll die before I let you put any of your blood into me, you fucking yokai bitch." She smiled, white teeth shining out of a face painted red.

"I'd let you. But I don't make the choices. Eren says to save you, so that's what I'll do." Then she slammed a fist into Jean's head, and as his world went black he heard her whisper. "I don't have to be nice about it."

..................................................................

Jean woke up to the sound of water running, and from the pitiful trickle and broken stones he knew he was in the shower at his bunkhouse, back at the south gate barracks. He blinked his eyes open, and he was glad that he had. The yokai was naked before him, wings nowhere to be seen, water coursing down her body. All the blood and yokai gore was gone, leaving smooth pale skin its wake. Those strong hands ran down her neck, between her breasts, over her stomach... between those thighs. Jean let out a ragged breath, and she cut her eyes at him. When she noticed he was awake she was on her knees next to him, tugging him into a sitting position.

"I thought I was going to have to force it in your mouth while you were sleeping. We don't have long before you start to turn." She bit into her wrist, holding it out to Jean like an offering. The scout backed away, scrambling over wet stone until he hit the wall.

"Get away from me. I don't want your blood." 

The raven haired yokai was in front of him in an instant, faster than should be possible. She buried her hand in his hair and wrenched his head back, shoving the wound into his mouth. He tried to turn his face away, but then those first drops hit his tongue and he couldn't get close enough. Wanted to swallow this yokai, just to get more of that sweet liquid inside him. Would devour her whole just like the feral beasts he hated so much. Jean was moaning, clinging to the demon with desperate hands, not caring that she was wet, water soaking into his clothes. All his life was nothing but this, leading him here. This demon, her blood, her taste. He felt desire swim up inside him, was losing himself, losing his reason. Jean thrust her away, crawling on all fours to put distance between them before he tried to take her, willing or not. She was strong enough to fight him off, but Jean wasn't an animal. Didn't want to force himself on this yokai, even  
under the weight of the mindless lust that was overtaking him. He said his words again, this time for her good and not his own.

"Get away from me." She laughed as he backed himself into another wall, looking at her with eyes that burned with need. The yokai cocked her head to the side, licking her lips, crawling towards Jean like a predator on her hands and knees. He watched the movements hungrily, the way her breasts swayed with each advance , the arch of her back, that ass thrust up into the air.

"Why would I do that? It's much more fun this way." Her horns glinted in the light that filtered through the high window, tail curling around her thigh, drawing his eyes to it unfailingly.

"I-I.. Fuck, what did you do to me?" His cock was about to explode, aching and swollen under her stare.

"It's the blood. It heals the yokai infection." She was right in front of him now, and she reached out laid her palm over the bulge in his pants, squeezing, making Jean's eyes roll back in his head. "Among other things. Bloodlust is one of them. I can go, if you want, and you can take care of this yourself. Or..." She reached down and grabbed her breasts, pressing them together, biting her lip. "I can take care of it for you. Do you want me to take care of you, Jean?"

Fuck, yes. Yes he did.


	23. Bloodlust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Multiship warning: This is a jeankasa/winmin smut chapter. The ereri will resume next chapter, for all you non-winmin fans. Sorry for the interruption, but I promise I will deliver some tooth rotting demon fluff upon their return.

Jean was having a hard time focusing on anything but the demon before him as her tail wrapped around his wrist. She stood up, tugging him to his feet and leading him down the hallway, hips swaying with every step, those eyes looking back over her shoulder at him with dark intent. When she entered Levi's room Jean hesitated, pulling back against her hold.

"W-wait, wait." Mikasa jerked him through the door, shutting it behind him and pressing Jean into the wood with her body. All his thoughts were lost for a moment at the feel of that naked flesh on his, nipples taut against his chest, breasts swollen and begging for his hands on them. He shook his head, willed words to come out. The sight of his Captain's quarters surrounding him helped to ground the scout in the present. "Levi, where did your friend take him? He was hurt, he-" The yokai pressed a finger against his lips to silence him, easing the tip of it into his mouth and toying with his teeth.

"Your _Levi_ is safer with that yokai that he is anywhere else. Eren would destroy the entire world, the heavens and the earth, before he allowed any harm to come to his mate. Now, do you want to talk about your Captain?" She trailed her hand down Jean's chest, over his stomach, before wrapping her hand around his shaft with a devious smile. He jerked under her touch, lust still roiling through him. "Or do you want me to take this _ache_ away?"

It still felt wrong, fucking in Levi's bed when he had been carried off by a demon to God knows where, bloody and unconscious. But this pale skinned yokai's hands on him felt so right, and as her hand started to stroke up and down his cock, his complaints began to fall away.

"He-he's okay? You promise?" Mikasa arched one leg up, wrapping it around the scout's hip until he could feel her wet slit hot on his thigh.

"You trust the word of a demon now? He's fine. I promise. Me on the other hand...." She slid herself up and down against Jean, rutting against him shamelessly, arching her back, chin lifted high. "I'm _hurting._ Fix me, little human." The yokai leaned up to his ear, whispering into it in a breathy voice. "Make it all better." 

Jean bit into his lip with a groan, glancing over at Levi's bed with his brows furrowed. The Captain would be goddamned furious if he ever found out his Squad Leader had fucked in his room. Jean would be cleaning stables for weeks, scrubbing the floors of the barracks with a toothbrush, oiling scout gear for days and days. Then a devilish grin crossed his face, and his hands were on the yokai's hips, clinging tight. _How will he ever know?_ The demon seemed to sense his thoughts, knew she had him where she wanted him, because she led him to the bed and threw him down into the mattress. When she straddled his hips, that dripping slit tight against his throbbing arousal, he moaned out loud.

"Oh, _fuck._ " It had been a fucking eternity since Jean had gotten laid, and the last time had been a forgettable one night stand, a drunken female scout at some military gathering. _Forgettable_ is not a word he would ever use to describe this. He looked up at the girl demon sitting over him, raven hair falling in her eyes, red horns glinting, tits swaying beautifully as she ground herself against him, and somehow found his voice. "What's your name, yokai?" She smiled, a wry sort of grin that made Jean feel like she was mocking him somehow. As though she thought it was quaint that he wanted to know.

"Mikasa."

"Mikasa." It rolled off his tongue like he'd been saying it all his life, and those hands that held her hips drifted up to take her perfect breasts in hand. When they squeezed those globes, thumbing over her nipples, she arched into the touch. Jean kneaded one of them roughly, his other hand snaking down between her legs as she thrust her hips back and forward over his shaft. When his fingers found her clit they began circling it, and the yokai moaned. He could feel how wet she was, delicious heat emanating off of that perfect softness, no hair anywhere to be seen. Jean guessed it was a demon thing, and that smooth skin felt so good under his touch. "Come here, Mikasa. I want to taste you." Her eyes glinted, betraying just how much she liked the sound of that as she spun her body around, knees settling on either side of Jean's head and for a moment, he couldn't breathe. The scout reached up to spread her shining lips wide as he stared, rubbing his thumb over that tight pink bud, his other hand trailing up to grasp one generous cheek. He tried to find something to say, something that would do justice to the sight before him only to come up empty.

Then he felt her tongue snake around his crown before sucking his length between her lips, and the scout's eyes rolled back into his head. She wiggled her hips suggestively, and Jean buried his face in her pussy with a growl, mouth hungry and desperate and _fuck,_ she tasted so good. 

If there were no demons in heaven, Jean would gladly crawl down to hell.

The scout worked his tongue over her clit mercilessly, struggling not to be distracted by that troublingly skilled mouth that was trying to suck everything in him out through his cock. The wet sounds she made were like music to his ears, but he wanted to hear that beautiful mouth moaning out his name. Jean slid two of his fingers inside her, curving them just so, twisting and thrusting until her muscles went tight. She pulled off of his length with a groan, throwing her head back and grinding herself down on his hands. The scout fucked her brutally with those fingers, tongue assaulting her needy bud as her hips rutted and jerked. When he slid his pinky finger back to tease the outside of her other tight hole, the yokai's entire body curled into itself. Mikasa was writhing on his face, and he felt her muscles contacting around his fingers, that pussy growing wet as she called out his name.

"Jean!"

He ate her through her climax, hands moving unceasingly inside, until she pulled herself off his face, panting for breath. Jean thought she would collapse into the bed, boneless and sated.

The yokai had other ideas.

Mikasa straddled his hips again, lining him up with her pussy and taking his cock in slowly, inch by agonizing inch. The scout was tensing his jaw, baring his teeth, head tilted to the side as he struggled not to lose it then and there. She was so fucking _tight,_ and slick, and perfect. When she had driven him in fully she leaned down to his face, pupils blown wide with lust.

"How do I taste, little human? Show me."

The yokai buried their mouths together as she started to ride him, tongues twining together, and Jean was fucking _lost._ Somewhere inside he realized that he would forever be empty after this, hollow and broken without this ethereal creature by his side. For all this wicked pleasure, he would suffer immeasurable pain.

As she bit his bottom lip, that slick hole tighter than a fist around his length, Jean knew it was worth it.

The yokai trailed her mouth down his neck and sank her teeth in viciously, tail curling absently around Jeans thigh. His hands were tight on her own, fingers digging into the yokai's thick legs as he started meeting her thrust for thrust. Their pace became needy, desperate, and he pulled her mouth back to his and eased a hand down to play with her clit as he fucked her savagely. Inhuman noises here erupting, not from the demon but from the scout, grunts and growls and desperate breaths all leaking out around their kiss. _Close._ He was close to finishing already, but not before he made this yokai come around his cock. Jean released her lips and leaned up to suck one the demon's little pink nipples into his mouth. He worked his fingers at the junction of her thighs, pulling wanton sounds out of the yokai as he buried his teeth in her breast. Mikasa's fingers went tight in his hair, grip harsh on those brunette locks. She began to bounce on him, movements erratic and desperate, and he knew she was close, too. Wrapped his arms tight around her waist to slam himself deeper inside, faster and faster, impaling the yokai on his throbbing shaft. When he felt her start to come again, muscles slick and twitching around his cock, it was too much.

"Mikasa!"

He erupted inside her, hips jerking in fits and starts, listening to the mewling sounds she made as she came down from the high of her orgasm. Then she fell forward into him, breathing ragged and uneven, head coming to rest on Jean's chest. He pushed those sweaty black locks from her eyes with a grin, taking in her pink cheeks proudly. Gray eyes darted up to his, hazy and drifting in the aftermath of exertion.

"So, how was I?" She smiled, that devious look lighting up her features, and suddenly Jean wished he had not asked.

"I've had worse, scout."

.........................................................

The little blonde yokai leaned back from Erwin, closing his eyes, tilting his head in a canine gesture like he was focusing on a sound too faint to hear. Then those red wings folded in on themselves, vanishing from sight, leaving nothing but the smooth skin of his back behind. Erwin knew this because his hands were on it, running up and down, desperate to touch this demon everywhere he can. The yokai moved to stand, only to be jerked back down by the Commander, eyes fierce and full of demand. Armin tisked at him, shoving his thumb into Erwin's mouth and jerking his jaw back and forth.

"Patience."

The yokai stood, ridding himself of the scouting pants he was wearing, and when he was naked before the other blonde, Erwin's cock throbbed painfully hard in his clothes. His eyes were drawn to the demon's erection, bobbing up and down in front of him, and before he knew what he was doing he jerked the little yokai forward. Erwin's arms went to Armin's hips again, clinging to him as he took that shaft into mouth. The Commander was no stranger to a man's body, even one that was not his own, but never had he wanted one as fiercely as he wanted this little blonde yokai. Was on his knees before him, sucking his cock like he would die without it, those tiny hands fisting in his hair. This yokai had told Erwin he was thousands of years old, but the Commander still felt predatory as he licked around his leaking shaft. The feeling of wrongness was not enough to make him stop. He hugged the boy demon close, taking his length down to hilt, swallowing it until he felt the crown pressing against the back of his throat. Armin raised one of his legs, throwing it over Erwin's shoulder and tightening his grasp on those blonde locks.

Then he started fucking the Scout Master's mouth, hips thrusting forward, shameless and unmerciful. Erwin's eyes rolled back in his head, moisture leaking out as he grabbed the yokai's ass, kneading his cheeks with rough fingers. Armin started whimpering, thighs quivering as his muscles went tense, heat climbing up his cock. It had been a couple of days since he'd come from Izanami's shrine, and the demon couldn't even remember the last time he'd gone that long without coming. His Lady's children were nothing if not carnal.

He didn't warn the Commander before he climaxed, just shot his seed into that eager mouth, bared his teeth with a hiss as he felt it work to swallow every drop he offered. When he finally went soft he shoved Erwin back to the ground and took his mouth with a growl, tasting the remnants of his essence there. The taste did not bother him, never had, and he licked his way between those waiting lips for the barest of moments. Armin pulled back to shove two fingers into the human's mouth, spreading his knees wide on each side of the Commander's thighs. Erwin watched with eyes on fire as the yokai lifted his hips up, reaching to shove those fingers inside. He arched his back, working his own hole viciously under the blonde's stare, smirking as Erwin began to pant. The scout leaned forward to spread the demon's cheeks wide, face shoved tight into his neck. Some distant part of his mind realized he had lost his reason, was a slave to lust beneath the lithe body of this little demon boy.

Erwin did not care. Make him a slave. He would serve this master gladly.

Those sharp teeth sank into Erwin's collarbones as the yokai scissored his fingers, fucking himself unabashedly under the commander's gaze. He shuddered at the sensation, unable to tear his eyes away from sight of those digits disappearing into Armin's hungry entrance. When he wedged a third one inside, Erwin's breath caught, and his hips were moving, thrusting into empty air. If he was not so desperate, he could watch this all day. This demon lost to his desires, bringing himself to climax. The yokai's pink tongue laved at the commander's skin, drinking up the blood that leaked from his bite mark. Erwin did not even notice. The scout master was entranced, massaging Armin's ass, spreading those cheeks open before pressing them back together, and he found himself gritting his teeth impatiently. Needed to fill this tight hole, needed to do it _now._

As though he sensed the Commander's urgency, the yokai withdrew his fingers and shoved Erwin down onto his back. Nimble hands unlaced the scout master's belt, tugging it open and freeing him of his scouting gear. After Erwin's swords and gear were discarded, Armin unbuttoned the Commander's pants, unzipped them, each movement slow and meticulous. Forcing this man who waited for no one to wait for him. Icy blue eyes watched, locked on the yokai as he freed the Commander's aching arousal. It was hard and leaking between them, begging to be touched. The demon licked his lips appreciatively, eying the prodigious length with hunger in his gaze. He looked up to meet the human's stare, biting his lip deviously.

"Let me get that wet for you, Commander Erwin."

Armin crawled back just slightly before leaning down and opening his lips wide and pulling the tip of Erwin's shaft between them. The big blonde's hips thrust upwards, a low growl erupting from his throat as he felt the yokai's hot tongue working around his arousal. That little mouth took him in, deeper than the commander would've thought possible, but still only able to get about halfway down before he felt himself hit the back of the yokai's throat. _Oh, fuck._ Erwin had forgotten where he was, forgotten about the horde crawling across his lands, forgotten about his lost scouts and his city in turmoil. He would worry about all these things later. Right now it was only this tiny blonde devil, owning every piece of him, swallowing him whole. Then that tight muscle at the back of the yokai's mouth opened up, and suddenly the demon's upturned nose was buried in the coarse hairs at the base of his shaft.

"Hnngg.... F-fuck...." Erwin was _stuttering,_ gasping for breath as Armin bobbed up and down on his cock, taking it impossibly deep before withdrawing. Just when he felt heat begin to coil in his gut, the yokai pulled his mouth off with a knowing smirk.

"I think it's wet enough, _Master Erwin._ Let's take care of you."

Armin straddled the commander, one knee cocked up so he could reach down and fist that swollen length to line it up with his entrance. Then he was sliding down inch by inch, eyes wrenched shut, head thrown back as he was split wide open. Full, so fucking full, and he needed every bit of that cock inside him. It had been _centuries_ since he'd last been taken this way, and by the gods, he had missed it. When his ass landed on Erwin's thighs he whimpered, brows furrowed, breath broken and ragged. He gave himself a minute to adjust, felt Erwin's fingers on his hips in a bruising grip. Relished every one of those fingertips, hungry for him, needy. When he looked down those bright eyes were so full of heat they burned the yokai inside.

Then Armin started to _move,_ and the sounds he made had Erwin bending his knees to steady the yokai. The blonde demon rode Erwin shamelessly, lifting himself almost off of his cock before slamming back down, impaling himself viciously again and again. He would fight through a horde, defend these humans, protect these walls again and again if it meant he could take this shaft within him. He leaned forward, putting his hands on the commander's chest for leverage as he bounced faster and faster on that huge cock that was making him see stars. When Armin changed the angle of his movements and hit that sweet spot inside, he whined out loud.

"Fuck me, Erwin. Right there."

He did not have to say it twice. The commander was savage, pounding his shaft violently into the yokai's little pink hole, wanton noises pouring out of Armin's lips. His cock was hard again, shaking with Erwin's every thrust, slapping lewdly against the man's stomach as he took this demon with everything he had. The commander couldn't take it anymore, had to reach out and take that length in hand. When he started to stroke it, the yokai started mewling and quaking, profanities pouring out of that deceptively innocent looking mouth, face pink, moisture leaking from his lips. Blonde hair a wild halo around his head.

"Fuck, shit, hnnnnggg.... fuck, so good.... g-gonna come...."

Erwin increased his speed, hips a blur as he fucked the boy yokai above him to the edge of madness. Soon Armin was tensing, arms coming into his body as he fell down onto Erwin's chest, back bending as his climax shot out violently.

" _Master!_ "

With that one word, Erwin was done too, filling up the blonde demon above him as he felt hot, pearly fluid arc across his stomach. His hips stuttered erratically before finally stilling, the yokai freeing Erwin's shaft and falling over to his side, head nestled into his chest. Armin nuzzled into the skin there, and after a few minutes as Erwin stroked those flushed cheeks, his eyes went wide.

The little yokai was fast asleep.


	24. Whole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ereri returns with this chapter, so all anti-winmin and anti-jeankasa readers may rest easy. To summarize the relevant events of the last two chapters, a brief paragraph.
> 
> Mikasa helped to wipe out what was left of the horde in the area around the west gate. After taking Jean back to the south gate barracks, she gave him her blood to cure the infection from the yokai bite he received and prevented him from turning. The blood also makes it possible for Jean to see Eren, Armin, and Mikasa at all times, whether they want him to or not. Sexy times ensue, which take place in Levi's bed at the south barracks.
> 
> Erwin rode out towards the west gate intending to check on Levi only to run into horses whose riders had been killed by yokai, followed by the horde. He waded into them to fight, and was bitten by a yokai. Before he was overrun Armin saved him, pulling out his wings and carrying him to the safety of the walls. He also administered his blood to Erwin, to heal his bite and prevent him from turning. More sexy times ensue, because winmin FTW.
> 
> And now back to our scheduled Ereri programming.

Levi had not woken up before the sun rose, though Eren was still sleeping when he opened his eyes to see the soft light of morning filtering through the trees around them. It may not have been the rays of dawn, but they were still beautiful as they lit up the yokai's face. Eren's arm was thrown over him, tail curling around Levi's leg possessively, one huge black wing still pulled over them like a blanket. One that they no longer needed with the sun shining down, and as unromantic as it was, Levi was flinging it off him to escape those suffocating feathers. It flopped immediately back in place, pressing in close to the scout as though to keep him beside his yokai as Eren mumbled in his sleep and clung tighter. He rolled his eyes, tentatively moving his arms and legs, expecting to be sore all over after what they had put each other through the previous night. Much to his surprise only his hips and the skin of his neck were sore, but everything else seemed fine. Better than fine. Levi felt _wonderful._

Except fuck, his back itched like crazy, both up by his shoulders and at the base of his spine. He reached around to scratch viciously at his lower back, but his hand would not quite reach the spot where his skin was crawling between his shoulder blades. Levi sat up, shoving at Eren's wing again to get it out of his face as he arched and twisted, trying to get his nails where they needed to be. Was it even possible for his skin to itch this badly? What the hell was wrong with him? The yokai's black feathers were tickling at his face again, trying to wrap around the scout. Levi snatched them in his hand, jerking them away from his nose with a growl.

"Mother of fuck, Eren!" He looked down to see the demon's eyes already open, glinting mischievously as he waved his wing back towards the scouts mouth. This yokai was fucking with him. "Damn it, you fucking-" Eren sat up next to him, cutting Levi off with a kiss as he reached around the scout's back and began scratching it in _just_ the right place. Levi tasted his mouth briefly before leaning into Eren's fingers with a moan. "Oh, fuck, right there. I love you even more now, just keep scratching. How did you know where? What's wrong with my fucking back?" The scout began rubbing at the area just above his tailbone again, relieving the irritation there as Eren's hands worked up and down his spine. His head felt strange as well, not itchy but throbbing underneath his hair somewhere above his temples.

"I remember how it felt when my wings were getting ready to come in. Every now and then it would itch like crazy, but I was alone in Izanami's shrine near my village. I scratched my back on the walls until I was bloody, gods, it was miserable." It made sense now. His shoulder blades, the base of his spine, the top of his head. Wings. A tail. Horns. Levi was going to turn into a yokai like Eren, and that fact sank in more fully now as he felt his body changing, felt it shifting and altering as it readied to become something new. Something stronger. Something better. More capable of protecting his people from anything that put them in danger, and the scout smiled at the idea. A thought occurred to him, one that had come to Levi before but that he had pushed away in the face of more pressing concerns. He let his head fall forward onto his mate's shoulder, pressing at the sore places on his head where his horns would erupt soon with tentative fingers as he spoke.

"What makes you different from all those feral yokai? You can think, talk, feel. You're not a mindless beast. You say Izanami made you. Did she make the ferals, too? Why would she do that? Where do they come from originally? A lot of them are humans who have been turned, but a lot of them aren't." Some of the discomfort in his back was easing away, but still he leaned into Eren's touch. The yokai was not scratching anymore but rubbing at the skin, massaging it with strong hands. He sighed, and it was an ancient sound.

"Izanami made her yokai as protectors of mankind. They call her a goddess of death, but she is also a goddess of creation. Our lady always had demons in her shrine in the nightlands, but they cannot stay on earth for very long. When Ryujin, the dragon god of the sea, sent his daughter to rain fire down on humanity, Izanami turned humans into yokai like me. Watchers. Protectors. Then they took their mates from the ranks of mankind, turned them into what we are. United them together, and they fought off Ryujin's daughter. That was all before I was born. He was furious that his child had been taken from him, so he took Izanami's creation and twisted it into something dark and infectious. The feral yokai. Just as Izanami had taken humans like me and made us an ally to man, he took humans and made them man's enemy. The gods are weak now compared to what they once were, unable to do much with their influence, but the feral yokai remain. So do yokai like me, but most of them have returned to Izanami's shrine and the nightlands for good. They do not come down to earth anymore. Man does not believe in us, and when they see us they strike out, thinking we're their enemy. It is hard to fight for them as they fight against us. And after fighting against an endless foe for thousands upon thousands of years, they have grown weary of it. They do not believe mankind has a future anymore." It sounded like the myths of a lost people, something that was carved into walls on crumbling ruins, etched in the stone of flooded temples. A tale whispered late at night to children who had been dead for millennia, even their bones turned to dust. Yet here Eren was before him, great black wings spread out from his back, eyes slitted and feline. A tail growing from his spine, horns curving out of his head. A walking, talking mythological being. Soon Levi would be one as well.

"God of the sea, eh." The ocean was an abstract idea to Levi, not something tangible. As much of a myth as some dragon god. "Have you ever seen it, Eren? The ocean?" When the yokai did not answer, Levi pulled back and the look in Eren's eyes was unfathomable. He shook his head, those eyes more beautiful than any sea the scout could imagine.

"No, but Izanami says that it's amazing. Before Ryujin decided to make his home in its depths, it was a place of peace and power. Even with what remains of the god there, my Lady says it's breathtaking. So long as there are ferals on the earth, none of Izanami's yokai can set foot in its waters." The scout found himself laying his palm against Eren's cheek, brows furrowing. If he had to rid the world of these creatures to clear those shadows from Eren's eyes, he would spend the rest of his days slaying them. All so this yokai could feel the tide on his feet.

"We'll be alive thousands of years together, right?" The yokai nodded, pulling Levi into his lap so that the scout was straddling his hips. Eren nuzzled into the scout's hand, his own finding Levi's hips and clinging to them. "That's plenty of time to kill all these yokai. We'll swim in the sea together one day." The demon smiled a sad smile for the briefest of moments before rutting up into Levi with a growl.

"We'll do anything you desire, Levi. Forever. But right now, I just want you."

Eren brought their lips together and Levi melted into him, one hand closing around a shining black horn, the other clinging to the yokai's back. The scout did not think it would be possible for him to want Eren this way after the previous night, but he felt himself shooting hard between them as the demon worked his mouth. His whole life Levi had been starved for touch, and now Eren lavished it on him and he could not get enough. Wanted those seeking hands everywhere at once, wanted this yokai to swallow him whole. There were so many things back in Mitras that needed his attention, and he should be making his way back there to face them, but he could not find it in himslef to pull away. Did not want to. For just a little while longer, his people could wait. Eren's hand slid down his spine, over the sore bones where his tail would emerge one day soon and down between his cheeks to tease at his entrance. Levi shoved himself into the touch, moaning as the yokai slid his fingers inside, thrusting, delving, scissoring. The scout's eyes rolled back in his head as he groaned into Eren's mouth, tugging hard on the horn in his fist and eliciting a wanton sound from the demon as well. Levi was impatient to have Eren filling him again, and the yokai must hand felt the same way. He lifted Levi up in his lap, reaching down to fist his cock as he lined himself up with the scouts entrance and slid inside. Levi pulled back from their kiss with a whimper as he felt Eren ease smoothly within. The scout was tight but still slick and ready from his heat, would be any time lust rose up in him, fierce and demanding that his mate split him wide. 

"Fuck, Eren...." The yokai buried his mouth in Levi's throat, licking sensuously at the skin there.

 _Little mate...._

That voice in the scout's head would never get old, would never stop lighting a fire inside him. Then Eren was moving within him, slowly thrusting up into Levi's heat, and the scout wrapped his legs around the yokai to help him sink deeper, felt those dark feathers brushing at his calves. Eren's hands were heavy on Levi's skin, running up and down his sides, thumbing over his nipples, fingers digging into his back. Everywhere at once, just like the scout wanted, and he shuddered as the yokai gripped his hips and started to fuck him in earnest.

"Ffff... hnnn...Eren, please...." Eren's mouth was still busy at his mate's throat, licking his way to the other side as he drilled himself deeper between Levi's thighs.

_Please what, love?_

_I-I don't know. Please everything._

Eren chuckled darkly, wings wrapping around them until all they could see was each other and raven feathers, caging them together in perfect shadows. The yokai took Levi's leaking arousal in hand and began to stroke it in time with his movements, thumb teasing over the crown, fingertips dipping down to torment his sack. The scout whined, pulling Eren's face to his own and kissing him hard, tongue desperately writhing against his own. The yokai took his other hand from Levi's hip and wrapped around the small of his back, pulling the scout tight so he could impale his mate further. Eren knew when he hit that perfect place within him, because Levi arched beautifully, throwing his head back, mouth muttering incoherent profanities laced with the yokai's name. _Fuck, yes, please Eren, so good, right there, Eren, shit, fuck, more, more..._ The demon drove his mate faster, stroking and pounding and growling, and when he sank his teeth into Levi the scout was thrown over the edge, the perfect ecstasy of that sharp bite too much to resist.

"EREN!"

_Levi...._

The yokai felt hot seed shooting over his fingertips, and as Levi contracted around him he could not fight it anymore, either. Was shooting deep into the scout. Levi's scent in his nose, Levi's blood in his mouth, Levi's come on his hand. Levi's touch and Levi's taste, the sounds he made and the way every part of him clung to the yokai so tightly. All that he was belonged to Eren, and after waiting so long for his mate there was nothing better. Not in all the heavens. Not anywhere on earth. An infinite number of worlds spinning wildly among the stars, and everything Eren needed was right here in his arms. They both went still, Levi's breathing ragged in the yokai's ear, Eren pressing gentle kisses up and down his neck. The yokai eased himself from his mate, and Levi shuddered at the sensation before pulling back to brush the hair out of Eren's eyes and look into them with a face full of love. He stared for long moments before sighing.

"We need to get back to the village. I need to check on my men, see what's going on inside those walls." Eren nodded, kissing Levi on the lips briefly once more as his face turned serious.

"Okay, little mate. Let's go back. But we'll have to come together again sometime later today, by nightfall at the latest. If we go too long without it you'll be thrown into a heat again. Which might not be a good thing, surrounded by your scouts. They'll be able to tell something is wrong with you no matter what I do to try and conceal you. In a couple of days you will turn. At some point after we finish making love, you'll feel it within you, our Lady's power. Then later your wings will come out, and your horns, and your tail. Your eyes will slit like mine." Eren brushed at Levi's cheeks, smiling wide. "You're going to be even more fucking amazing than you already are. Gods, I don't know if I can handle it." He sighed before continuing. "If you do not want your men to see you that way, we'll need to get you away from them because I will not be able to hide you, nor will you be able to hide yourself at first. It took me a few hours before I could pull my wings in, let alone hide my horns and tail from people. To be honest, I don't know if you will be able to do it on your own for quite some time. I... I don't think you will be able to return to your life as it was before, Levi. Things will be different for you now. You will be different. We can still help your people, finish fighting what might remain of the horde, see what is going on with your enemies from Trost but... we may have to do so on our own, depending on how your people react to what you are becoming." Eren looked absolutely broken, face full of grief. "I'm sorry I've stolen your life from you, Levi, but I needed to make you strong. Make you safe. I watched you almost die in my arms. I could not let you slip away again. I love you too much. I waited so long for you, little mate."

Levi brought their mouths together, soft and slow, hands threading through the russet locks around his yokai's horns. The scout reached out with one of them to sift through the feathers of Eren's wings, and the demon shuddered under his touch as he caressed and tugged and tasted. Levi pulled back and looked at Eren, ocean gray eyes lit up from inside.

"I think I was waiting for you, too. You didn't steal my life. You gave it to me. Let's go take care of my people so I can live it with you."

They tore Levi's cloak in two and wrapped it around their hips before starting back towards Mitras. They walked slowly, hand in hand, in the shadows of great black wings.


	25. Vengeance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little dark here. Just a bit of a warning for the... squeamish, so to speak. It's kind of intense.

They stopped behind a rise in the earth just before the walls came in sight, and Levi stilled Eren with a tug on their hands. He ran his fingers through the black feathers of those wings, smiling as he watched the yokai shudder under the touch. Levi would hate to see them go, but he had an eternity to look at these wings, he supposed. Eren knew that he needed to pull them in, but he did not know how easy it would be after having his wings out for almost an entire day now. The demon closed his eyes, folding the appendages as tightly against his back as they would go and cocking his head in concentration. It took longer than it should have, but then the air around him shimmered and they vanished into nothingness. A sad expression crossed his face, and Levi stroked the yokai's cheek with his fingers as he stared into those gemstone eyes.

"I'm sorry. When all this is over we can leave your wings out forever, if you want." A small smile graced his features then, and he nipped at Levi's thumb with his teeth.

"Our wings, little mate. Let's go take care of your people first."

Eren kept the scout's hand held tight as they approached Wall Maria, hiding him from the eyes of any of the scouts that might be atop it. The yokai was fairly sure Levi wanted to dress first and not encounter his men mostly naked with a torn cloak wrapped around himself, covered in hickeys and bite marks, bruises shaped like fingerprints dusted across his hips. Even though his wounds would all heal inhumanly fast, this did not extend to marks they put on each other while mating. Demons liked to claim their mates with teeth and claws, and it would be counter productive if those marks healed in a few hours, so Izanami's blessing allowed them to stay as long as they would in a humans flesh. To proclaim, _'This one is mine.'_ So while Levi's head injury was totally gone, all his muscles and bones free of soreness and pain, all the proof of Eren's desire for him would be etched in that skin for days.

The scout required a shirt, needless to say.

The pair walked right up to the stones, and Levi eyed his bag full of gear for a moment before Eren crouched down and motioned towards his back.

"Just get on my back. I'll climb up the wall, and we can jump down on the other side and go to your room so you can get changed." His scouts would wonder how he got back inside the walls without them noticing, but he was nothing if not evasive when necessary. He tisked at the yokai, glaring at him where he leaned over.

"You want to give me a fucking piggy back ride up the wall." There was something degrading about it, and Levi wanted to smack his demon. Eren just shrugged, those slitted green eyes dancing with delight.

"It can be my turn next, if you want. After you change." Levi rolled his eyes and climbed on, taking the satchel of gear and boots from Eren so he could grip the stones better. As the yokai flew up the wall with preternatural speed, Levi felt himself grinning. He would never admit it, but there was something exhilarating about scaling it. It felt.... triumphant somehow, not gearing over it or walking through the gate, but climbing the sides without effort. The scout could not wait until he could do it himself, conquer these walls with his hands and feet. Eren managed to keep his scrap of cloak on by some miracle, and when they reached the ramparts of the wall Levi climbed off his back and wiped the childish glee from his face before the yokai could see. Eren wrapped his tail absently around Levi's leg, keeping the contact so the scout would stay hidden as he looked down and surveyed his outpost.

There were no living yokai anywhere to be seen but instead piles of their corpses dotting the landscape. His men were milling about on the ground going about their duties as usual, getting ready to set one of their pyres of the undead ablaze, though Levi noticed a distinct lack of horses. There were still a few here and there, but nowhere near as many as there should be, and he felt his heart clench as he realized what had probably happened to his own. _Jiyuu._ She was dead, no doubt, torn apart by yokai teeth and consumed like so much meat. After losing so many men, Levi felt guilty for sparing even a moment of sorrow for an animal, but he could not help it. She had carried him through countless battles against the demons they fought, been steady and true when he needed her to be, never once failing to answer his call. Now she was rotting in the stomach of dead yokai, and Levi felt fresh fury wash over him at all that those creatures had taken from him and his people. Eren seemed to realize what he was thinking somehow, catching the thoughts from his mind maybe, because he was pulling him close, turning the scout to look at him. The yokai brushed raven strands out of Levi's face, brows furrowing with despair.

 _I'm sorry about Jiyuu. I did not even spare her a thought when I pulled you from your saddle. I might have been able to save her after you revived. I was thoughtless._

Levi could not help but let out a harsh bark of laughter.

_You save my life, pull me from the clutches of a horde of ferals, and say you're sorry about my horse. It's okay, Eren. I'm alive because of you. It's fine._

The barest traces of relief cross those slitted eyes, and Levi leaned in to press their lips together softly. The yokai's hands eased around his back as those mouths slanted against one another, tongues writhing and exploring lazily. Levi groaned into the kiss, moving his body against Eren's instinctively. Then a voice broke through the silence, wry and disbelieving.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me, Levi." The captain jerked, pulling away from Eren to see Jean standing there, looking right at him even though he should be hidden. Half naked with bites and bruises all over him, making out with a demon, looked a fucking mess. His yokai saw the confusion on his face and smirked at him, still holding Levi tight even under the gaze of the other brunette.

"Oh, maybe I should've mentioned that when Mikasa gave Jean her blood to heal the yokai infection, he was also given the ability to see us, no matter what. The blood grants the sight. So there's no hiding from him anymore." Levi glared at his mate, lip curling up in a snarl.

"Yes, Eren, maybe that's something you should fucking tell me. Shitty yokai." 

"Sorry to interrupt your incognito makeout session, but maybe we're all a little fucking worried about you, asshole." He shoots a look at Eren, who was not moving away from Levi even under the scout's sharp stare. "This yokai pulls out giant wings and flies you off to who knows where in the middle of a goddamn breach with a horde on the ground, everyone thinks you're dead." Levi had the decency to look the slightest bit ashamed, brows furrowing.

"You don't seem all that surprised to see me, Kirstein." Jean just shrugged.

"Your demon friend told me you were safe after she gave me her blood." Eren was smirking, sniffing the air, eying Jean with a knowing look.

"She gave him more than that." Jean's eyes went huge at the yokai's words, and Levi was scenting the air too, realizing how sensitive his nose seemed to be. He could smell something familiar, something besides the scout before him, and after a few moments his eyes widened in recognition.

"You smell like that female demon. Mikasa." The captain leaned in closer, and it was clear he smelled like more than just the girl yokai. He smelled like sex, lingering and faint, and Levi was grinning as Jean blushed bright under their stares. "So, I guess there's a reason you're not trying to kill my yokai here, eh? Where is she now?" Levi had said _my yokai_ without thinking, but after the words were out he could not regret them. Jean could see him anyway, saw them locked together in an embrace, saw those bites and bruises all over Levi's skin. It was obvious what they were to each other, and would only grow more apparent as time went on. If Jean could be his ally in this, support him even as he became something they had all been raised to hate with all their being, it would be unfathomably perfect. Now was not the time to tell the scout all that, however.

"She said something about going to find her friend Armin. Heading over the walls to find out what was going on inside and reporting back to you two. I don't know what happened to you, Levi, and I want a full fucking explanation when things settle down, but shit is not going well here and we don't have the luxury of story time right now. When Gunther tried to take that traitor to Wall Rose, there were Garrison troops he'd never seen before manning the walls. They've blocked off all the gearing posts all along it so no one can hook in, and aren't letting any of the scouts past the inner walls. They wanted him to hand over the prisoner, though, even as they refused to let him up to safety. They shot fucking arrows at him when he rode back towards the west gate house. They're not our men, Levi. I don't know who they are. Now any time the scouts get in range of Wall Rose, we're fired upon by archers. Gunther made it back somehow, and Mike and Hange are waiting on us at the west gate with him and the Trost scout they took outside of the east wall. We don't have time to babysit prisoners." Levi felt a scowl crossing his features as he let the information sink in. 

"Are they people from Trost? On our fucking walls?" Jean shrugged, looking just as furious as Levi. "Besides the patrol at the east gate and scouts who were in the west gate barracks, how many scouts did we lose that we know of?"

"Seven. Three riders inside the walls, two outside, and those bastards on Rose took out two of our men with arrows as we were approaching to see what the fuck was going on. We can't get into the city, and no one is coming out, either. I don't know what the fuck is happening in there, but it's not good." No, it was not, and Levi could not exactly head in swinging swords right now. Not when he could dissolve into a lust filled wreck any moment. All he could do was hope he changed quickly, and then they could take to the skies and soar over those walls like they weren't even there.

"You said Mike and Hange were waiting on you at the west gate with the prisoners? Why are they waiting on you?" A dark smile crossed over Jean's face, and in that moment he looked more frightening that Levi had ever seen him.

"Well, they aren't talking, and we're tired of listening to them wail. We're executing them. Our men had to watch as their brothers and sisters died in agony, all because of these fucking assholes. Now we can't get past our own walls, to see our families, to find out what's happening in there? Get some fucking clothes on, and let's go watch those bastards burn."

...................................................................................

Levi changed without letting any of his men at the south barracks see him before riding out with Jean and Eren to the west. It would take too long if he had to try and evade a million questions about where he had been, what happened to him, how he got back inside the walls without being noticed. Even if it had happened at another gatehouse, they had surely heard. Word traveled fast between outposts, and there was no way that Levi had been taken away by a winged yokai without every scout knowing. None of the men seemed to be aware that two horses were riding off instead of one, and even if it felt strange to be riding a mount he was not used to, Eren was in the saddle behind him, and that made all the difference. The scout leaned back into his demon as they rode, breathing in deep. Trying to let the yokai's presence soothe him. His instincts wanted to ignore everything happening around him, all the chaos and madness, and just soak in the sight and smells of his mate. Levi's mind was not having it, running a thousand different directions, trying to figure out everything at once.

Who was on Wall Rose firing arrows at his men? Killing his fellow scouts just for trying to go home? People from Trost? There was also the matter of his father. Leven would not allow Garrison troops to block entry to the city, especially when there was a horde on the ground. Infection did not happen quickly enough to pose much of a threat to the people of Mitras, and any of the Garrison troops he knew would do anything they could to get their fellow soldiers to safety. If unknown men were manning the walls, keeping his people out, it also begged the question of where the real Garrison troops were. Levi did not have any answers, but as the west gate came into sight, he realized it did not matter.

One thing at a time. Starting with these men who had struck down his brothers with fire and malice.

Eren must have made sure Levi was visible to the scouts gathered outside of the charred remains of the bunk house, tents spread here and there along the ground, because voices surged up around them calling his name. The loudest of which was Captain Zacharius.

"Levi! Thank fuck, I thought you were dead! Some fucking yokai sprouts goddamned wings and snatched you up, flies off with you...." Levi dismounted his horse only to be snatched up into the big blonde's arms, cringing as he buried his face in the scout's hair and sniffed hard. Eren was eying him venomously, and Levi had to roll his eyes. He pulled back, slapping Levi roughly on the shoulder, voice rough with emotion even as he tried to play it off. "What happened to you, son? When did you get back? Where were you? DId that fucking yokai-" Levi shook his head in answer.

"Not right now. Jean says you're executing the prisoners." The scout glanced over to where the others were gathered. There were swords stuck in the ground blade first in a circle, less than a foot of space between each piece of steel. Inside the circle was a stack of firewood, and even from so far away Levi could smell the unmistakable scent of the moonshine that soaked the kindling. In front of the circle of blades two bound men were kneeling, dried blood evident on their faces. One of them was gagged, the other with a rope around his neck like a leash, and Hange held the other end of it, eyes crazed behind blood-spattered glasses. 'Worse for wear' was an understatement. Hange had obviously had some serious fun with that one, if the gore leaking from his clothes was any indication. The Captain did not know exactly what had happened, but it was not hard to figure out the gist of things. She waved at Levi, and he shuddered internally at the gesture. The other captain had fucking lost it. Lost her men in the trees, and then lost her damn mind. Maybe watching one of the people responsible for her subordinates death burn would bring her some kind of closure.

Probably not, but they would still try.

"Yeah. You have some kind of issue with it? Because our scouts here, they've lost a lot of people. Can't even get near Wall Rose. Our brothers are dead, we're separated from out families, not to mention the riders we lost. I'm done playing games with these fuckers. We've got better things to do than feed and water them. Plus, if I'm being honest.... I just want to listen to them scream like my boys screamed when that bunkhouse went up in flames. They were good scouts. Good people. Didn't even die fighting yokai like they signed up for. Burned in their beds trying to sleep so they could relieve us later on in the fight." Mike's voice cracked, and he went silent. Levi had never heard him sound that way. Never seen him look at anyone the way he was eying those two prisoners. Murder in his gaze.

"I don't have an issue. Wouldn't miss it for the world. Let's get this done with, I need to get back to the south gate and fucking rest. I've had a long ass week, Captain." Zacharius smiled, and Levi wanted to turn away from it, but he did not. Let that psychotic grin sink into his memory. The face of vengeance made flesh. They approached the rest of the scouts, and when Levi got close enough to them, they turned to face him as a group.

One by one, their fists came up to their chests in a salute. Every scout there, eyes on fire as they looked to their Captain, gazed fierce and unmerciful in the face of what was to come. Gunter spoke up, and his voice was a whisper that somehow carried.

"It's good to have you back, Captain Levi." Levi nodded at them, returning their salute before dropping his fist.

"It's good to be back, scout. I told you we'd watch him burn. Don't make me a liar." The scout nodded back at him as the others relaxed their salutes, then he picked up a large glass jug of clear fluid. He walked up to the two prisoners and began pouring it all over them, the sharp sting of the alcohol slicing through the air. Levi had seen moonshine stills catch on fire, and it was a sight to behold. 

This would be even better.

The gagged scout was moaning through the cloth, trying to get away from the cold liquid that was soaking through his clothes to no avail. The other one did not even move as he was doused in it, eyes blank and hollow. He might as well already be dead, because there was nothing left inside. Hange had taken all he was with knives and blood and pain, and Levi could not find any sympathy within him. When the jug was empty, he and Hange dragged the prisoners to their feet. They cut the ropes holding their hands, and one at a time, they threw them into the circle of swords. The prisoners groaned, rolling around in the wood and trying to find their feet as the scouts closed in around the pyre. Anticipation was thick around them, heavy in their lungs. Levi stood in front next to Hange and Mike, Eren pressed in close behind him, tail curling around his waist. The yokai took one of his hands, interlocking their fingers, and Levi leaned into him, taking strength from his touch. Needing the demon there, not to face the gruesome deaths of his enemies, but to try and leave the scouts he'd lost behind. Let them go, so he could move forward and avenge them. Mike's voice cut through the silence, and all the scouts listened but did not look. Their eyes were on the enemies before them, and Levi could feel their hatred in the air, could smell it like smoke. Tainted and inevitable in the face of fire.

"One of these men helped kill two squads of our brothers in the trees outside of the east gate. The other set up explosives, and blew up our barracks. Killed our scouts. There are thirty one swords in the dirt here, one for every soldier we have lost the past few days. Let these blades cut them, as they have cut us. Let our family have vengeance, even as they cannot take it themselves. Hange, if you would do the honors." _Thirty one._ It had been ages since they've lost a single man, and now over two dozen were dead. Burned. Eaten. Buried. Gone forever, and for what?

For nothing. For no one.

A scout handed her a glass lantern, fire already lit inside. She did not say anything, just stared at the two men inside the blades, light reflected on those bloody lenses. Hange threw the lantern into the pyre, and it shattered on the wood.

Then all the world was heat and flame and screams.

Fire erupted out in a fog before settling down around the men, and even while they burned they tried to claw their way out of the blaze. Sliced their fingers open on deadly steel as they attempted to push it aside and escape their fate. Their cries echoed through the air, and all the scouts stood with their arms crossed, gazes cold and dead. No one averted their eyes, or turned away. They just watched as those pain drunk hands pawed blindly at metal, heedless of the cuts in their flesh, desperate to get away from the flames. Finally they went still, the acrid stench of burning flesh more welcome than it would ever be.

The blood on those swords was beautiful, and they watched the pyre for hours until it burned into nothingness. Levi rode away as the last vestiges of smoke coiled into the air, his yokai at his back, and he was ready.

Ready to become a monster in the night. Brutal and vicious and without mercy.


	26. Confession

Levi had done nothing but think the entire way back to the south gate barracks, and anytime he came to a decision there was no going back. He did not 'change his mind', even if he took an eternity to make a choice. The scout needed to tell his men what was going to happen to him, some of them at least. Jean, Ymir, Historia, and Sasha. He knew that Jean would probably take it better than anyone else, having his own personal experiences with a demon now, and the Captain did not expect Sasha or Historia to give him any serious problems. Ymir was another story, she hated the yokai like no one he knew, but she was also an incredibly strong fighter. When the shit inevitably hit the fan and he sprouted wings and horns and a tail, he wanted her on his side. If those four were at his back, the rest of the scouts stationed there would fall in line, so used to obeying Levi that they wouldn't hesitate to follow him even as a yokai. They dismounted their horses and it was only as he handed the reins to a nearby cadet that the scouts outside began to realize it was Levi and gather around him, a thousand voices erupting at once. _Captain, you're alive, what happened to you, did you kill that yokai, we were so worried...._ He assured all of them that he was fine, and that their respective squad leaders would brief them later, waving the scouts off with impatient gestures as he spoke to his yokai mentally.

 _I'm going to tell four of my people. Tell them about you, and what's going to happen to me. I need them to be ready. I don't know what's going on in those walls, and there's nothing I can do about it until I change, but I don't like it._ Eren furrowed his brows but nodded, tail coiling absently around Levi's thigh.

 _Whatever you think we should do._ It was not projected without emotion, but there was a certain blankness to it. Eren only cared about these people because Levi did. As a protector of humanity he did not want anyone to lose their lives, but right now all that was secondary to his mate. What he wanted, what he needed, how to protect him. If Levi wanted to save these people from outside forces he would do it, even if it endangered the scout, as long as it would make him happy. Once the trio entered the cathedral, Levi stilled Jean with a hand on his shoulder. No one inside seemed to notice the Captain there yet, and he was glad for it.

"Jean, get Ymir Historia and Sasha, and bring them to my office." 

"What for?"

"You said you wanted a full story. Well, they need to hear it, too. Just pretend Eren's not even there, alright? He'll show himself to them soon enough." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Have Historia bring some tea."

Jean grumbled but nodded his assent, and Levi was heading straight to the mess hall, which was mercifully empty. Most of the scouts were outside dealing with piles of dead yokai, even as the sun began drop low in the sky. After filling up a tray with four servings of soup and a pile of bread and fruit, they went into Levi's office. He shoved a pair of bowls at the yokai, and then they were both inhaling their food as though it would disappear if not eaten quickly enough. Levi had not realized just how hungry he was until he'd consumed both bowls of soup, two chunks of bread and a fairly impressive number of strawberries. As they finished up their meal his four squad leaders entered, Historia carrying a tray with tea cups and a kettle which she sat down on Levi's desk. Her voice was full of raw emotion as she spoke, and it was obvious that if the squad leader did not know how much Levi usually hated to be touched, Historia would be hugging him right then. Sasha too, probably.

"Captain Levi, we all heard what happened, we thought...." The blonde girl didn't finish, trailing off with a frown. Ymir had no such trouble.

"We thought you were fucking dead." Eren moved to stand behind Levi's chair as Historia and Sasha sat down, and Jean watched as the yokai began to thread his fingers through the Captain's hair. He did not even react besides closing his eyes for the briefest of moments and leaning into the touch before he poured himself a cup of tea. Then he seemed to remember that Jean could, in fact, see them. His eyes darted over to the squad leader and he reached up to bat the yokai's hands away. Eren smirked down at him, casting a sidelong glance at Jean that was not entirely friendly before he continued his petting unperturbed. Neither of the other three scouts seemed to notice anything strange about Levi's movements, swatting at a nonexistent person, and Jean began to realize they were lucky they did not need to fight these creatures.

Yokai you couldn't see, who could conceal not only themselves but someone else from you without you even noticing? Who could grow wings and soar above you? If they were enemies, humanity would truly be doomed. As much as Jean hesitated to trust a yokai, he hoped they could trust this one. Levi was sighing as he answered.

"I am pretty much not dead." Levi drank deeply from his cup, finishing it in one gulp before pouring himself another one. Jean felt himself scowling for no good reason as Eren wrapped his tail around their Captain's waist. He wondered just how long this demon had been there, toying with Levi right under their noses as the scout captain struggled to ignore him. If he sat across from his superior at mealtime or stood next to him on the wall, Levi maintaining a calm, relaxed demeanor while a yokai played with his hair, or coiled a tail around his leg. Jean felt exhausted just thinking about it.

"What happened? Where did that yokai take you? Did he hurt you?" Sasha sounded legitimately concerned, while Ymir just looked mildly interested. The serious scout was like Levi in many ways, masking her emotions almost as well as he did. He was good at reading them, though, and he could see the concern buried under that scowl. Levi had felt that look on his own face enough times to recognize it. The Captain just looked at all of them in turn before sighing again and leaning back in his chair.

"Erwin had his engagement party about a week ago." They all looked a little confused, _what does that have to do with anything,_ but they nodded. All of them besides Sasha had been present for the gathering, and she had only stayed behind to man the walls at the promise of extra food rations. "I went out into the woods to those ruins that are southwest of here." 

"The ones they say are haunted." Ymir and Historia looked at Sasha like she was stupid, but Jean and Levi just shared a knowing glance. Eren snorted, rolling his eyes as his hands slid down Levi's neck and underneath the fabric of his shirt. Jean knew that none of the scouts could see the yokai, but this time he'd made a sound. No one seemed to respond, though, and a chill went down his spine at just how dangerous he could conceivably be. Yet there he was behind Levi, fingers dancing over his collarbones, gazing so fondly at the Captain that it made even Jean's chest ache. He could not see this demon striking out at them, not watching how gentle those hands were over the scout captain's flesh, or how hungry those eyes looked at they ate Levi up. His superior's voice jolted Jean out of his daydream.

"Yes. Those. They aren't haunted, exactly. I... I was shit-faced, broke a wine bottle, cut myself." Levi cringed. Fuck, it didn't get easier to tell the more times he told the story, but harder. _I summoned a demon from ancient ruins, and now I'm going to become one._ It was so ridiculous that if he did not have a yokai standing next to him, fingers playing over his throat and in his hair, he would not believe it himself. He glanced down to make sure that no one had their blades strapped on before continuing. When his yokai had revealed himself to Erwin it had not exactly gone well, but Jean knew what to expect, and Sasha would not try anything. Ymir wouldn't let Historia make a move, but she might do it herself. Still, even if Levi told them, they would have to see to believe. 

"Damn it all. Eren, if you would." The scouts glanced around in confusion at the sound of a name they did not recognize when there appeared to be no one else in the room. The demon had the decency to disentangle himself from Levi before flashing himself into existence, and it might as well have been a bomb dropped into the room. Ymir was shoving Historia behind her, backing up to put distance between them and the yokai. The blonde was wide eyed and gaping, hand coming up to cover her mouth. Ymir's eyes narrowed viciously, and Levi could read it in her body language that she was thinking of attacking. Sasha fell out of her chair before leaping to her feet. Noises that were not really words poured out of her mouth and she was waving her arms around uselessly. Then they realized Jean was just sitting there, arms crossed, not reacting, and they looked up at Eren, really seeing him for the first time. 

He stood next to their Captain, not consciously aware that his tail had wrapped around his Levi's thigh again behind the desk. His arms were crossed as well, all his weight on one leg with a hip cocked to the side towards his mate. Those bright green eyes danced over the scouts before him, watching Ymir with particular interest. "This is Eren. He and Jean have already met. He appeared in the ruins that night, and has been here ever since, hidden from you. Eren's been helping us fight the horde and the Trostians. He's on our side. He's yokai that grew wings and saved me from the demons at the west gate breach. His blood healed my head wound, and as soon as I was out of danger he brought me back here." 

"He's a fucking _yokai,_ Captain." Ymir was spitting her words, looking around as though for a weapon, still holding Historia behind her protectively.

"Your powers of observation never cease to amaze me, Squad Leader. Any other facts you'd like to enlighten us with?" Then Eren spoke, and the three girls gasped out loud.

"I mean you all no harm, as long as you mean Levi none. Only those who put him in danger are my enemies." Sasha was pointing at Eren now, as though no one else had noticed a talking yokai among them. She sputtered again before finally producing an actual sentence.

"Oh my God, it can talk!" Levi corrected her, a parent chiding their child for being rude in public.

" _He_ can talk." Eren smiled affectionately at Levi, and it was not lost on anyone. 

"Why didn't you put a sword through his neck when he showed up at those ruins?" Ymir had relaxed her stance, but if anything her expression had grown more fierce. Levi shrugged in answer.

"I couldn't. I was..." _In love, even then._ Levi bit back the words. "I was drunk. He protected me all night from the feral yokai. I'd have been dead twice now if not for Eren. Jean would have turned yokai if not for demon blood healing the infection from their bite. All he has done is fight for us, when he does not have to. He has wings, he could just fly away. Didn't have to show himself to you, either, but did so because I asked him to." Ymir was not satisfied by Levi's answer.

"Why did he protect you? It's not like you haven't needed help before, he just pops up now?" Historia was easing around Ymir now, curiosity stronger than any fear she had, especially as Eren was just standing there. Not moving, not attacking. Just moving a step closer to where Levi sat. The Captain's utter lack of a reaction was also soothing somehow. They were used to blindly following any order he spat out at them, trusting that even if it sounded strange, he knew how best to win whatever fight they were in and get everyone out alive. Ymir shot her a glare, but she was unfazed. Levi was about to answer when Eren spoke up, drawing all of their stares to his face.

"Levi accidentally performed a summoning. Wine, blood. Fucking stumbled his way through a demon ritual drunk and barely upright. I was impressed." Sasha let out a bark of laughter, silenced quickly as Ymir and Levi glared at her. She deflated under their scrutiny but a smirk still played at her lips, guilty and self indulgent. Ymir turned her stare back at Eren, addressing him directly.

"So, is it permanent? Or will whatever weird ritual he performed wear off eventually? You still gonna be a good little pet yokai when it does?" Eren's tail tightened on Levi's thigh, eyes narrowing on the girl as he spoke.

"The summoning is eternal. It will last forever." 

"You mean until Levi's dead." Jean sounded genuinely concerned. If Levi was killed in action, would the yokai turn on them? Eren looked ferocious when he answered, not a trace of uncertainty in his voice.

"Levi won't die." Four pairs of eyes looked at Eren incredulously, like he was an idiot. _Foolish little demon, doesn't understand life and death._ They turned to Levi expecting a response, and he sighed for what felt like the thousandth time.

"This is why I had Eren show himself to you, because I need you to be ready for what is coming. I need to know you're going to be there at my side, and not trying to bury a sword in my back." The scouts were horrified by the suggestion.

"Why would we want to fight you, Levi? Him, maybe. Not you." It was Ymir who asked, but they all wanted to know. Levi cast a glance at Eren and heard that silk voice pour through his mind.

_Just tell them, Levi. I won't let them hurt you._

_That's not what worries me. I need them to still trust me after this. At least until Mitras is safe._ The yokai shrugged, and the scouts looked between them, realizing there was some sort of unspoken communication going on. They probably thought it was body language and not actual mind reading. One unbelievable revelation at a time.... Levi looked back at the scouts and thought _fuck it._ He was going to turn eventually, and then they would surely know.

"I'm going to turn yokai. Not feral, but like Eren is, aware, able to communicate. Wings, all that." He might as well have dropped a bomb in the room, because they all exploded. Sasha was yet again incapable of words, and Jean was gesturing wildly as he shouted. Ymir was pointing at Levi almost accusingly incoherent words pouring from her as well, and Eren watched her with a predator's eyes. Only Historia was silent, looking faintly ill. 

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" The sound of Levi's command echoing through the room silenced them at once. They were used to obeying it, and years of training would not be erased in a moment, even one as volatile as this. "Listen, this is a lot to take in, I get it, fuck, I do. I've been dealing with it myself over the past few days, so I know just as much as you do how fucking crazy it sounds. How little you want to trust him, or maybe even me, right now. But this is happening whether you're comfortable with it or not, and when it does, I am going to use the strength I gain to fly over those fucking walls and find out what's going on inside Sina. But I need your help here, need you to not lose your shit on me. Need you to keep the rest of the cadet's from losing theirs when I sprout horns and a tail like the very thing you've been killing for years." All four mouths opened, but Ymir's voice was the loudest.

"What happens if we don't trust this yokai?" Her tone was subdued when she continued, but resolute. "What happens if we can't trust you?" Eren looked at Levi and caught the flash of pain that flitted across his face before he shut it down with that mask of calm. The yokai reached out without thinking and brushed a hand affectionately over Levi's cheek, and he did not flinch away from the touch.

"If you can't trust us, nothing will change, except I will leave here, right now. Take off somewhere else until I change. Go back over the wall on my own, try and see what's happening. We can do it without your help, will be on our own inside anyway, but if I'm going to hang around here and try to get with Erwin and Hange and make a game plan, I need to know I'm not going to be catching in any arrows in my back or waking up with a knife to my throat." Eren was growling then, and while it was sweet, it was not helping. The yokai's hand was resting on his shoulder now, squeezing hard.

"No one's putting a fucking knife to your throat, I can promise you that." Levi rolled his eyes, but his Squad Leaders were silent, contemplative. Jean was the first to gather himself enough to ask questions.

"How long until you turn into a yokai?" Levi glanced to Eren, then shrugged.

"A day or two. Not too sure."

"And you'll be able to fly, and hide yourself like he does, and heal yokai infection with your blood?" 

"Yes. Eventually, anyway. It might be hard to conceal myself at first, apparently." Jean's brows furrowed as a thought occurred to him.

"I had...." He faltered, changing his phrasing mid sentence. "Some demon blood, too. I'm not going to turn yokai, am I?" The yokai was shaking his head before replying.

"No. It's not the same. It takes more than blood." Ymir looked less hostile, but her voice was still sharp like a knife.

"What does it take, then?" Eren looked unfathomable, as though he were somewhere else entirely.

"Thousands of years of destiny and an indomitable will." They hit them both with a barrage of questions, some that could be answered and some that could not. It took awhile, but they eventually exhausted their questions, or maybe their brains were just trying to process everything. Everyone was silent for a long time. Sasha sat back down, staring unabashedly at Eren, his horns, his tail. Historia stood, Ymir hovering behind her while Jean moved to lean by the door, arms crossed. Levi was about to say something else when a wave of heat rolled through him that had the scout captain leaning forward in his chair and gasping. _Heat._ The heat was starting, Levi's body demanding to be mated, and right fucking then. Eren could feel the lust rolling through the bond they shared, rubbing circles into his mate's back as he turned to the scouts.

"Levi needs to shower and rest. If you are going to give us any problems, I'd appreciate you doing it right now so we can take our leave from this place." Historia, Jean, and Sasha mumbled out replies as they made their way towards the door, _No, of course not, we wouldn't hurt Levi, he's one of us...._ Only Ymir stayed in place, eyes locked on Levi as he sat back up in his seat, the rush of the heat subsiding for a moment.

"Captain Levi, I respect you. You know I do. And as long as it seems like you're on our side, even if you become a yokai, I will fight for you. But if you turn on us, even for an instant, I will put a blade through your neck so fast it will make your head spin. Literally." Levi was smiling, because it was exactly what he would say if their situations were reversed, but Eren disappeared from Ymir's view. She scowled, eyes darting around, searching. The yokai reappeared behind her, wrapping a hand around her throat as he flashed back into existence. His tail coiled around one of her wrists while he snatched the other up with his free hand, hissing in her ear as she struggled uselessly.

"You do not threaten him. If you so much as look at him wrong after he changes, I will have your head, and I don't need a sword to take it. I'll rip it off with my bare hands and feed your corpse to the ferals." Levi stood up, taking a step towards them, scowling.

"Eren, it's fine, let her go." Those slitted eyes met his for a moment, but he did not release her.

"Do you understand me, little human?" Ymir looked furious, but she nodded almost imperceptibly. Eren felt it in his hand more than he saw it, and he turned invisible, reappearing next to Levi with a dark look on his face. She rubbed at her throat, shooting a glare at the yokai as she left the room. The rest of the scouts filed out, door clicking shut behind them. Levi's voice coiled through the yokai's mind.

 _That.... went better than I'd anticipated._ Eren drew closer, wrapping his arms around Levi from behind and burying his face in the scout's throat, breathing in his scent. Levi moaned, the yokai's breath on his skin igniting him from within. His arousal began to shoot hard in his clothes, and suddenly Levi was too hot, couldn't get enough air. 

_Let's go get you clean, little mate, so I can take care of you._

All Levi could do was nod, over and over and over, as Eren rendered him invisible and tugged him down the hallway towards his room. They paused just inside the door, and the yokai's hands were hungry on Levi's skin, tugging off his jacket and cravat. Eren buried their mouths together, tongues writhing and seeking, and the noises Levi made were inhuman and perfect. The scout could smell smoke and death on both of them, however, and before they could lose themselves he needed a shower. He made his way towards the bathroom only to pause by the bed, something itching at his newly keen nose. Eren scented it too, leaning towards the sheets and smirking as he figured out what it was. It smelled like Mikasa, and Levi's scout, and sex. His mate's face went wide in realization, and Eren thought the scouts at the west gate barracks could probably hear Levi when he shouted.

"KIRSTEIN YOU HORSE-FACED FUCK, GET IN HERE!"


	27. Heard

With Levi's foot on the back of his head, pressing his face into soiled sheets that he definitely should have remembered to change, Jean Kirstein was contemplating his life choices. The Captain's voice sounded out, loud and vicious, but with a strange undercurrent Jean could not quite place. Blinking, he focused on what Levi was saying, if only so he would pull back and let him breathe.

"....said you thought I was dead, but it's okay to fuck in my bed? You have a bed, you nasty fuck, and that little demon bitch could've kept you unseen. But nooooo, you need to come use mine, when I'm off in the forest somewhere bleeding out from a fucking head wound. You equine piece of shit." The yokai was smirking, looking on as his mate ripped his squad leader open, but he could feel the lust rising in Levi even from so far away. Decided to speak up, just to get his mate into the shower as fast as possible. Not to spare this scout any trouble, but for his own selfish reasons.

"It was probably Mikasa's idea, if that's any consolation." Levi shot Eren a look, but as soon as their eyes met his fury receded, leaving raw need in its wake. Heat climbed up in Levi's gut, and his forgotten arousal swelled and throbbed. Levi didn't even realize what he was doing as he let Jean up and walked over to Eren, standing in front of the yokai and panting, open mouthed and silent. Felt his cheeks flush, chest going tight all of sudden. He couldn't remember what he had been saying, what he was doing. Why wasn't he naked underneath this demon? Surely there was a reason, but it was lost in the haze of his need. Eren took his mate's hand, pulling Levi in close and burying his face in those dark locks, glancing over to Jean. The brunette scout was watching warily, rubbing the back of his neck, the ghost of Levi's boots still stinging the skin there. "Little human, Levi needs to get cleaned up. While he showers, I suggest you change these sheets. Put an extra one on, change the pillowcases, bring some water and that tea from his office. Then get the fuck out, and don't come back in here unless he calls for you." Eren's slitted eyes danced with mischief as Levi's arms wrapped around him, Jean's own going wide in surprise. When the yokai felt the scout mouthing lazily at his throat, Eren broke into a devilish smile. "I think you should hurry."

The demon scooped Levi up in his arms bridal style and instead of complaining, the scout just moaned and leaned up to search out his yokai's mouth. Needed to taste it, feel his demon's lips sliding against his own. Eren opened with a growl, carrying Levi's writhing form into the bathroom and closing the door behind them. His mate's hands were hungry on his skin, in his hair, running up Eren's neck and over his cheeks before sliding back down under the yokai's shirt to grope blindly at his chest. Eren smirked into their kiss at his eagerness as he set Levi down on his feet, tongue slipping between those perfect lips as he unfastened the scout's belt and dropped his blades the floor with a clattering sound. The yokai backed Levi into the shower, pressing him against the wall, untying his cravat and discarding it before releasing the scout's mouth to remove his jacket and shirt. When Levi's chest was revealed before Eren the Captain shuddered, gray eyes lighting up as his yokai fell to his knees. Nothing was ever so appetizing as the demon before him, hands itching to lay Levi bare and ravage him. Those green orbs locked on his, and as the demon worked Levi's boots off he pressed his mouth to the scout's clothed erection, kissing and biting and nuzzling at it through the fabric of Levi's pants. Long fingers threaded themselves into Eren's hair as Levi rutted forward against the yokai's face.

"Nnnggh... Eren, please...."

Once Levi's socks and boots had been tossed aside, the yokai moved on to the next article of clothing. As Eren unbuttoned the scout's pants and tugged them down his legs, taking his boxers as well, Levi had never been so grateful to not be wearing a gear harness. Would have told the yokai to rip through it just to be free. The scout clawed at the fabric of Eren's shirt, and once the demon had Levi's pants thrown into a corner he raised his arms, allowing him to pull it off with needy fingers. The yokai absently tore at his own pants, needing them off as well, just as eager as his mate. Then they were both naked, the yokai on his knees in the floor of the shower, and Eren reached over to turn the trickling water on. The cool spray hit Levi in the chest, rinsing some of the filth from his body, but the scout didn't even notice. Was staring down at Eren instead, holding onto his shoulders, fingers biting into the skin there. Those bright eyes looked up to meet Levi's as he ran his hands slowly up the scout's thighs, hitching a pale leg up over his shoulder. Eren bit his lip before sticking his tongue out and licking a hot stripe up the underside of his mate's cock. Lightly, gently. Levi hissed in response.

"D-don't tease."

The yokai smirked as he swallowed Levi down, easing the fingers of one hand back and slipping two of them inside the scout. He was slick, the heat getting his body ready for Eren, and there was no resistance as the demon scissored his fingers open. Eren thrust them mercilessly in and out of Levi as he took the scout deep into his throat. Loved the way his mate felt, throbbing in his mouth, leaking, needy. The Captain leaned his head to the side, feeling the water mat down his raven hair, delighting in the cleansing sensation even as he was licked and fingered and fucking _devoured._ Levi closed his hands around Eren's horns, hips rutting forward to fuck the demon's mouth before rocking back to impale himself. Needed Eren everywhere at once, inside him, and on his skin and between his teeth. Settled for driving the yokai's fingers deeper inside and tugging on those horns like they were the only thing holding him in place. If Levi had not been so desperate he would've been embarrassed by his voice, high pitched and whimpering.

"C-come on. I-I-I... ffffuck.... I need you now. It _hurts._ " It did hurt, the emptiness inside him a living thing only slightly relieved by those hot digits working Levi open. Eren slid his fingers out as he stood, wrapping Levi's legs around his waist and gripping his ass to support the scouts weight as he pressed him into the wall.

"I need you too, love. Hold on."

Eren took Levi's mouth again as he lined himself up with his mate's entrance, the scout shoving into their kiss aggressively while he twisted and shook. Despite Levi's impatience the yokai eased in slow, tail sliding around the scout's waist possessively. When Eren was buried to the hilt Levi moaned, ecstasy rolling through him at the sensation. He was _full,_ deliciously so. Complete. Whole in a way he'd never felt before this yokai came along to fill in all the empty broken places inside. Levi tried to move but his body was not cooperating, wanting to just melt in Eren's arms. He broke their kiss to force words out instead, and they were stuttering and full of the ache he felt.

"P-please. Move. N-now." Eren kissed his temple, his cheek, his jaw before whispering into the scout's ear.

"I love you, Levi."

Levi opened his mouth to answer only to have his voice stolen as Eren began moving, fingers biting into the scout's thighs as he pounded him into the wall. The cool water of the shower was slipping down the yokai's back, and he buried his mouth in Levi's throat to lick at the smooth, marked skin there. Putting bruises over bite marks, and Eren growled at the taste of his claimed flesh, feeding on the little whimpers that poured helplessly from Levi's mouth. Even now he was muttering incoherently, _please, please, Eren, yes,_ and nothing in this world or any other would have stopped the yokai from taking his mate in that moment. The world could fall into pieces, walls shattered and destroyed, and Eren would say, _'Wait, not yet, he needs me.'_ Levi was _breathtaking,_ the sounds he made, the feeling of his warm breath panting against Eren's ear, the way his legs went tighter around the yokai's waist as he sought to meet him thrust for thrust. Eren could feel their hearts beating together, fluttering and erratic in their chests. Made to move in unison, two beings kept alive not with their own flesh and bone, but with one another's. 

Every intake of breath Levi made was a gasp, and he exhaled around a whine each time, fingers easing up to clutch at Eren's hair before his arms wrapped tight around the yokai's neck. Levi was _loud,_ and if Jean was still nearby he could probably hear them, but the scout could not find it in him to care. The demon was still eating at his throat hungrily, growling at the feel of that tight ring of muscle wrapped around his cock. Twitching and clenching, slick and hot and perfect. Everything Levi was, all his, forever and ever. There would be bruises in those pale thighs from the grip Eren had on them as he savaged the scout, each one a testament to just how tightly he needed to hold him. Needed to bring Levi in so close that there was no space between them. Just skin and heat and sweat, breathing the same air, lost in each other as they found themselves.

The scout's whole body was going tight, nails biting at the skin of Eren's back as his heels dug into the yokai's spine. Arching forward, breathing going broken and uneven. Levi was mumbling out a stream of profanities before he came with a shout of Eren's name, heat splattering between them almost unnoticed and washed away by the cool water of the shower. Eren began moving even faster, hips rocking viciously in and out of his mate, who spoke against his throat in a wrecked voice.

"I love you too, Eren." _Fuck._

Now Eren was coming, shooting inside Levi with beastly noises as he buried his face against the scout's chest. Once he stilled his hips he stood there for a long time, still inside of his mate, catching his breath. Lips pressed into Levi's chest, not kissing but just there. Bathing in Levi as surely as he was in the water. Levi's scent, and Levi's breathing. His skin and his taste. Those long fingers threading into the yokai's hair, toying with his horns. The sound of his heavy, blissful sigh. Only when the scout spoke softly into his ear did he finally ease back.

"Let's get cleaned up and we can finish this in bed." Levi was already growing hard again, the heat not yet satisfied, and the yokai's body was surging up to obey. He slid himself out of his mate and let Levi find his feet so they could wash each other. Slowly, even as their bodies were impatient and selfish.

Eren hoped that Levi's scout was done changing their bedding before they got out.

He'd hate for Jean to see the things he was going to do to his Captain.

.................................................................

 

It was several hours and another quick shower later before Levi's heat finally abated, leaving them both blissful and sated. The scout was naked, wrapped up in Eren's arms beneath the clean blankets of his bed that now smelled of nothing but the yokai. At least to Levi, anyway. Jean had been long gone when they emerged from their first shower, and Levi couldn't help but wonder if the scout had heard them. Did not care, not really. Not right then as he lay boneless and euphoric, Eren's fingers trailing up and down his back as the yokai planted soft kisses in his hair. One leg thrown over Levi, tail coiling around his leg again and again until the furry tip brushed at his calf. Sleep buzzed around the corners of his mind, but he did not want to surrender. Not if it meant giving up this perfect feeling, his body spent and aching in all the best ways, hazy joy flowing through his veins. When they woke up he would have to find Hange and Erwin, find out what was going on with the so called 'Garrison Troops' atop Wall Rose. See if they could locate Armin and Mikasa, determine what the demons had discovered. Try and do whatever he could to get ready to head inside the walls, all the while worrying about when his next heat would strike. Eren seemed to think one more would be all it took to finish his transformation, and Levi hoped he was right. The scout needed to strong, needed those wings and horns and the power that came with them so he could take back his village. So his men could see their families.

So he could make sure his father was safe.

The sooner he closed his eyes, the sooner they would open on a day full of obligation and duty. Levi forced them to stay open, tilting his face up, and his yokai did not need him to ask to know what he wanted. They kissed lazily, no lust or need between them. Just love, and affection, the comfort of those lips sliding against his reaching deep inside to a place Levi had not known existed. Not until a yokai burst out of the nightlands and said the scout was his.

Eventually Levi fell asleep with his lips still touching Eren's. Breathing the same air. Feeling each other's heat. Even the scout's dream were filled with his yokai, and though he knew they were not real, it did not matter.

Because he would wake up to find reality just as sweet. Even if it was darker, that was fine. Eren was there, and they could face the darkness together.


	28. Taken

There was something pressing down on Levi's feet, and he somehow knew it was not his yokai. An itching in his nose, a buzzing in his ears. His newly heightened senses telling him that there was someone else in his room besides Eren. Levi cracked open his eyes to see Hange perched on the end of his bed, that crazed grin on her face as she bounced lightly up and down.

"What the fuck, four eyes?" She waved her hands around in the air as though trying to dissipate smoke, eyes darting around the bed.

"Jean says he's in here. Says he can see him now that he had his blood. I dragged him in here by force because he didn't want to come, just so he could tell me if Eren was really here. He swears he is, right next to you. 'Naked as fuck all', to quote him precisely. But I don't see anything. And I can't even make myself touch the bed next to you. Even now, my head hurts like my skull is being ripped open, just _thinking_ about trying to sit down where Eren is supposedly laying. It's fascinating! Is he still asleep?" Levi glanced over and somehow the yokai had his eyes closed, soft snores emanating from him.

"Yes, no thanks to you. Can you not see that I'm in bed with no damn clothes on? Fuck off, Hange. We'll be out soon." She was not listening, just cocked her head to the side, giggling.

"He's asleep, and yet he's still hidden. It's something he can do unconsciously, without trying. Something he can maintain even as he's sleeping. I wonder if it affects a certain part of the brain in a human. Maybe if I lobotomized someone, or damaged the right part of the skull, it would be rendered ineffective. The part that controls vision and hearing. Supposedly it affects sounds, too. I wonder if someone who was blind and deaf could sense him somehow, even when he was concealed this way. I think there's a prisoner in the main jail inside of Wall-"

"We are not lobotomizing anyone, Hange." She fucking _pouted,_ crossing her arms across her chest.

"But if they're already condemned, then it doesn't-"

"HANGE. You are not chopping up anyone's brain over this. I'm fucking serious." 

"Fine. Can I at least have some of Eren's blood so I can see him too? And I'd like to take his temperature and heart rate and measure them against human norms. If we could go outside the walls and let him open his wings, I could see how they worked, what part of his body they come out of. If you pull feathers from them and he draws them back into himself, I'm wondering if the feathers disappear, or if they remain tangible. And if you pull some out and he puts his wings away, once he opens them again are the feathers still missing, or do they reform somehow? You said he heals quickly, but does that apply to his wings, too? If he broke one-" Levi hissed, teeth feeling sharp in his mouth as he sat up and got in Hange's face.

"You are not pulling out any of his feathers or breaking his wings. You're not drinking any of his blood. You're not fucking touching him. Do you understand me?" Eren started to stir at Levi's hostility, hugging himself tighter against the scout in his sleep. Hange's eyes went wide, and instead of shrinking back away from Levi she leaned in closer, mouth falling open.

"Levi. Your _eyes._ " The scout's hand went up to his face, touching his cheeks tentatively.

"What about them?" Hange cocked her head the opposite way, trying to touch the corner of Levi's lids. He slapped her hand away with a glare.

"Your pupils. Your irises. They're _slitted._ Like a cats. Like Eren's. Levi, did you drink the blood too? Are Jean's eyes this way, and I didn't notice? When did they turn this way? How well can you see in the dark? We need to get you underground somewhere and test-" Levi shoved Hange away from him, and she sat down with a thump on the blankets.

"Shitty glasses. A lot is happening right now, and I know you're stressed, but you need to calm the fuck down. We are not lobotomizing any condemned prisoners. We are not going outside the walls for you to poke and prod at Eren's wings. We are not going underground to test my night vision. All of these things can happen _later._ Well, most of them. RIght now, we are going to find Erwin, and see how close we can get to the walls with some binoculars. We are going to send scouts on horseback to see if they have the entire wall manned, or if there are blind spots we can take advantage of. But first, you are going to get THE FUCK out of here so I can dress." Levi felt his yokai shift, and when he looked down those slitted green eyes were on him. Eren smiled wide, reaching up to touch his face, noticing the change in Levi's irises right away. His brows furrowed for a moment as he closed his eyes, tilting his head to the side. He seemed troubled, but it vanished when he opened his lids again.

"Beautiful. Your eyes are breathtaking, little mate." Levi scowled as his cheeks flushed, bristling instinctively at the praise for no real reason. Why should it matter that Eren called him beautiful, especially if no one could even hear it? Still he looked away, letting his eyes dart briefly back to Hange, who was still searching the bed as though Eren would just appear before her own. 

"Would you show yourself to stupid four eyes so she'll leave?" The yokai spared a glance for Hange before turning back to Levi, edging his hand down from the scouts face to drag over his chest. Slid it across Levi's abdomen, squeezing his hipbone for a moment, lingering.

"I don't know. Maybe I should suck you off and just keep myself hidden. Let all your sounds and expressions be visible. See if you can keep yourself together while I break you apart." Levi's newly feline eyes narrowed on him, dangerous and alight.

"No. I will fucking punch you. Don't even think about it." The yokai eased his hand down further and wrapped his palm around Levi's shaft, which hardened instantly under his touch. The scout shuddered, biting his lip as he grabbed hold of one of those shining horns, the yokai's tail tightening around his thigh. Eren sat up until his mouth was at Levi's throat, licking and sucking at it before whispering low.

"No, you won't. Your body is in the middle of the change. You're incapable of doing anything but melting under me. You can't refuse, really. All you can do is submit." He sucked a bruise up on Levi's skin before moaning out words so quiet the scout could barely hear him. "All you can say is _please._ " Levi's mouth fell open as the yokai started to stroke, vision going hazy with need. His voice was ragged and not his own when he bit out a command, leaving no room for argument.

"Hange get the fuck out of here right now. I'll be in the mess hall shortly." The woman sighed, bounding off the bed and towards the door.

"All right, but I want one of those yokai feathers. And a blood sample. It's not negotiable." She slammed the door behind her, and Eren opened his mouth to speak but did not get the chance. Levi rolled him onto his back, straddling the yokai's hips and pinning his hands above his head. The scout leaned down to hiss in Eren's face, an animal sound, something bestial poured out through bared teeth. It had Eren shooting hard underneath his mate, the sheer ferocity of the scout getting under his skin and making him ache.

"You little shit. You think just because we're mates now you can do whatever you please? Try to embarrass me in front of my men?" 

Levi drove his hips down against the yokai's, both their lengths rubbing together. Eren was smirking even as he gasped, not fighting the hold Levi had on his wrists. He could get free of the scout's grasp, overpower him, flip their positions. But why would he? His little mate towering over him was a sight to behold, oozing out dominance. Eyes slitted and demonic, canines sharper in his mouth, long and white and shining. Levi was a masterpiece even incomplete, and Eren could not wait for him to be finished. Once he had those black horns curving out of his skull, wings spreading out from his back, tail arching out of his spine...

Eren was grateful his mate's finished transformation would incite the heat in him. He could not wait for Levi to split him open. Would beg shamelessly for the scout to take him, and have not a single regret.

The scout shifted his grip so that both of Eren's wrists were secured in one of his palms, reaching down to take both of their cocks in hand. Groaning, the yokai thrust up into his grasp, eyes falling closed.

"K-kiss me, Levi."

Levi released Eren's arms as he leaned in, taking the yokai's mouth with a growl as he worked them in tandem. His hand did not encircle them both completely, but the slide of skin on skin and the slick feel them leaking against each other was enough to have them both ragged and moaning. They melted into each other, legs tangling as Eren arched up off the bed, fingers buried in Levi's hair. It did not take long before they were both coming, erupting in unison as they gasped into their kiss.

Levi insisted they shower separately, and Eren obliged with a smile on his face.

He'd have him naked and filthy again soon enough.

.......................................................................

Hange was sitting in Levi's chair when he entered his office after breakfast, feet propped up on the desk. When the door was closed behind them Eren flashed himself into existence, causing her to squeal and wave.

"Eren! You were in bed with Levi earlier, weren't you? Did you hear what we were talking about? I'd really like-" Levi cut her off, shoving her feet from his desk roughly.

"Hange. Focus. Not right now." She rolled her eyes but held her hands up in a gesture of surrender.

"I sent out two of your squads earlier when I first arrived, before I even went into your room. Sasha and her archers took some binoculars and they're going to ride as close to the wall as they can and see how well manned it is. Try to find any weaknesses, figure out their patrol patterns. I sent Connie and his boys east to the gate house to see if Erwin is there. If not, they're riding north to find out if he headed back to his own post. They should both be back before sundown if everything goes well. I also sent a scout west to talk to Mike, but he's gearing along the walls. You're incredibly short on horses. It's worse here than it is at the other gate houses, for some reason. Where are your two demon friends?" Eren spoke up, voice resigned.

"Back at the shrine with Izanami." Levi looked at Eren in surprise, worry crossing his face.

"What do you mean? How do you know?" The yokai sighed, sitting atop Levi's desk.

"I noticed your eyes this morning, which means you'll be finishing the change soon. You are, inside at least, more yokai than human at this point. The ritual was done with your blood. Your _human_ blood. 'Levi the human' does not exist anymore, so the ritual was broken. I tried to reach out and feel them through the tie of the blood, but they're gone. Back to the shrine." When Hange shot to her feet and erupted with a shrill screeching noise, all Levi could do was grimace.

"Wait, wait, wait, Levi! The change? You're turning into a yokai? _That's_ why your eyes look like that? Is Jean turning, too? How long does it take? Do you feel any different? Oh, I need blood from you right now. We need to go to my lab, and I need to test it. Are you going to have wings, too? Will they be the same as Eren's? Will you be able to fly right away, or are you going to have to learn like a baby bird? Oh my god, I want to watch! Little baby Levi bird leaving the nest for the first time! AHHH!" Hange jumped up and down, running over to Levi and looking at his eyes. She reached up to sift through his hair, prodding at the places on his skull here his horns were going to emerge, only to have Eren slap her hand away and pull the scout behind him. The yokai bared his teeth at her, tail curling possessively around Levi's waist.

"Don't touch him." Hange's eyes shot wide as she grinned, about to say something when the door to the office burst open to reveal Ymir and Jean, looking grave. Levi's voice was made of steel.

"What is it? What happened?"

"It's Commander Smith, Levi."

"What about him?" Ymir and Jean shared a look, before Kirstein growled out a response.

"He's been taken."


	29. Toxic

**THEN**

Kenny could taste blood in his mouth. It was on his clothes, dripping into his eyes. Pouring from the bite wound on his forearm, and even though he was staring at the mark, it still felt unreal. He wasn't _bitten,_ surely. He could not turn _yokai._ Not when he was so close to accomplishing his goals. Soon the problem with the dam would be solved, his alliance with Trost ensured even without marrying that snake of a chieftain's daughter. In the process Kenny would be rid of Levi, an unfortunate loss of life in the line of duty, and then maybe all those fucking whispers would stop. Without an heir there would no longer be so many of his so-called supporters standing in the shadows, longing for Kenny's fall from power. _If Leven was chieftain, if Levi was heir, if Kenny was out of the picture. We would be happy, we would be free, we would be prosperous._ Without Kenny, Mitras would be _weak,_ Leven's soft voice and light hand leading the village to its doom. 

As Kenny picked a yokai tooth out of his arm, he realized maybe his brother was not as cowardly as he thought.

He had not thought Leven had it in him. Had underestimated him, fatally so. Kenny had not batted an eye when his normal Military Police escorts were unavailable to ride with him to Trost. Nor when they were replaced with Erwin's own scouts, geared up and blades ready. It was just quick visit to the nearby settlement, one he had made many times before. 

Halfway there the scout's with him had pulled their horses to a stop. Kenny was confused, wondering what in the hell they were doing.

Then they buried a handful of arrows in him before he could even get a hand on his sword. Severed the tendons in his legs, but did not kill him. Sounded a horn, calling out yokai to devour him. When he asked them to put a sword through him, to let him have an honorable death he did not have to claim with his own hands, their eyes had grown dark and furious.

_'This is what happens when you try to take men's sons from them. You should have left Levi out of your plans, and none of this would have happened.'_

He should've known. He should've _known._ Leven found out somehow, one of his men not as loyal as he thought letting his intentions slip. Kenny had been careless, riding out of the gates with scouts instead of MP's, leaving his son inside the walls alone. Would they kill Marlo, now? _No, no._ Leven wouldn't, even if Kenny had been planning to hurt Levi. He would not do what was necessary to protect his interests, to hold onto the throne he was spilling blood to claim. Leven would leave Kenny's son alive, even if it meant he had to fight him later, another rightful heir to the chieftain's seat. It was a small comfort, but at least he would not be the cause of his son's demise.

Another small comfort, the bodies of yokai spread out around him. They had swarmed him like bees, angry and growling, teeth gnashing into his flesh. They had killed him, of that there was no doubt, but they had killed themselves, too. Ran into blades they never saw coming, and Kenny brought them to the ground. Severed their heads before they could swallow him down, and now he had to take care of things himself. Slit his wrists and bleed out before he started to change. Because Kenny was not going to become some mindless beast, forever hungry, wandering the woods and waiting for a scout to cut him down. He put a blade to his wrist with a smile, ready to press down, when a dark formless voice echoed through the trees.

_What if you were not mindless?_

Kenny froze, eyes going wide as they darted around. No one there. Not even yokai.

_What if I gave you back your life, in exchange for the lives of others?_

He blinked at nothingness, looking up into the trees, squinting into the branches. His vision was already going blurry, though, the yokai venom seeping into his veins.

"Where are you? Who are you?"

 _I am nowhere, and I am everywhere. I am Ryujin, the father of demons. My children have claimed you as on of their own, but there is enough darkness in you. I can make you my son. I sense the blood of my enemy in you. The blood of the prophesied. If you will shed the blood of your blood, I can give you power._ The blood of his blood. His son? This... voice, this demon, wanted him to kill his child? Not even Kenny could do such a thing. 

"I can't kill my own son. I won't."

 _Not your son. I need you to kill Levi, before he reaches the ocean. One day he will step into my waters, and all that I am will be burned away. Take lives for me, and I will give you wings to soar above your enemies. Claws to rend. Teeth to gnash. Bring me the bones of the prophesied, and you can live forever. Rule your village with fists of steel, until the stars explode in the heavens and the stones of the earth fall away into nothingness._ Kenny started laughing then, crimson drops spraying from his mouth, and for a moment he wondered if he was going crazy. Hearing voices in the woods, talking to demons. Maybe this was what it meant to turn yokai. To lose your mind, before you lost your body. To go mad, before the hunger took hold. Either way, if this _demon_ would let him kill his nephew, he would do it with a smile.

"I would love to bring you Levi's bones, my friend. I can take his life for you." Then he heard dark laughter, a vicious reflection of his own stoked in the flames of hell.

_Oh, little human. I need more lives than that._

So Leven had cleaned up in a river, the haze of the change clearing from his eyes. Made his way to Trost on foot, watching with curiosity as he walked past yokai unnoticed. They did not see him. Did not sense him. Did not react to his presence in any way. When he finally got to the gates of the settlement, he told the chieftain of Leven's plot to kill him. Planted seeds of doubt. It did not take long to convince the Trostian that Leven was his enemy. It was easy to convince a viper there was a cobra in his midst, and then he was sending an envoy to Mitras. To 'negotiate' about the dam, and a possible marriage between Levi and his daughter Annie.

To distract them while Trostian scouts surrounded their walls, ready to claim Mitras for their own as they'd yearned to do for so many years. 

Then once their soldiers moved out, Kenny blew up their gates. Broke down their defenses. Let the yokai in to feast on their bones. Every man, woman and child, all offered up to Ryujin. Soon, Kenny had a horde at his back, clothes bloody and torn. Child yokai falling behind, stumbling after them on awkward legs, and they all followed him toward Mitras.

More loyal than any soldier. Tied to Kenny by more than blood.

He moved faster than all those yokai, and after meeting up with a group of Trostian scouts outside the north gate, Kenny geared over the walls unnoticed. Let his new 'allies' infiltrate the Garrison Troops. Met up with his son, and the three Trostians being held captive in the dungeon beneath the inner hall. 

When he'd finally put a blade to Leven's throat, Kenny was waiting with giddy anticipation to watch the terror play out over his face. He was back from the dead with blades and men and vengeance, here to rise up against Leven and throw him from his perch on high. Put him in the dirt where he belonged, next to his son's corpse. All his hopes and dreams, fallen into ruin.

"Why, hello brother." Then Leven fucking _smiled,_ looking at Kenny as though he was late for some unspoken appointment. Chastising. Like Kenny was some unruly child who needed to be put in his place.

"Hey there, Kenny. Long time no see."

He'd planned on talking to his brother for awhile. Telling him all the ways he'd failed. As a sibling, as a leader. As a father. As a son. But then everything was awash in red, because Kenny had won. He'd _won,_ and Leven was still here. Smirking, sitting on that throne that didn't belong to him as though he was born there. Had watched his life pass by from its seat. Always _more_ than Kenny. Always _better._

Kenny dropped his blades, fists falling down on his brother's flesh like so much rain. Torrential, and just as wet, blood seeping out of Leven's nose, his mouth, his eyes. Bones shifting under Kenny's knuckles, and when he paused to catch his breath, Leven was laughing. A broken sound, lungs full of fluid, but still there. The words were low, gasped out through a mouth without teeth, and they hit Kenny in his gut like a knife.

"Levi's gonna make you bleed for this. Tell him I said no mercy. No mercy and no regrets."

When Kenny finally went still, Leven was formless beneath him. White shards jutting out of his skin, a pool of gore spreading out at the foot of the throne. Red floodwaters slowly rising, and Kenny wanted them to drown him. All he could here was his brother's laughter, voice promising revenge even as it stuttered and went out. _'Levi's gonna make you bleed for this.'_

Kenny had taken lives, heard the screams of people dying at his hands. Shed so much blood. An ocean of it, yet it was not enough. Not so long as Levi was breathing.

And when he took his last breath Kenny would smile down at him. Watch those molten grey eyes wink out. Tell him, _'No mercy.'_

Whisper, 'No regrets.'

Then he would sail off on wings made of darkness, and the world would tremble in his wake.

....................................................

**NOW**

Erwin could not open his left eye, the lid swollen shut and crusted over with blood, but there was not much to see anyway. The bare walls of his cell, the filth spread out around him. Guards that eyed him warily, as though he was a threat to them. Shackled, and beaten, and starved, but still dangerous. _Yes, that's right,_ he thought. All he needed was one mistake, one careless act. A guard straying a little too close. A weapon without a hand grasping the hilt. A throat bared to his bite.

If these people gave him an inch, Erwin would take miles and miles from them. Down roads paved in their blood, through paths filled with suffering. They were not responsible for his captivity. Just pawns being manipulated by Kenny, moved around on his chessboard without thought for their lives, but Erwin did not care.

Because Kenny was going to use him to draw Levi out, to take his life. Erwin had done many things he regretted in this life, but he'd done mostly right by at least one person. Brought Levi out of hell. Made him realize he was strong. That he could fight, no matter what. There was nothing he would not do to keep Levi safe. If it cost Erwin his body, his life, his soul. It did not matter.

So Erwin would kill all these men if he had to. Take them from their wives. Their siblings. Their children. Take sons from mothers. Lovers and friends and comrades. He would slay every last one of them to save Levi and his men. So he clenched his fists. Bided his time. Watched, and waited. A predator made patient by necessity, watching its prey with eyes that missed nothing. Caged, and bloody.

But his teeth were no less sharp, and the longer he sat idle, the hungrier he grew.


	30. All

The shrine looked as it always had, pristine and shining, marble glittering under the light of the ever present stars. There was no roof, only the blanket of the heavens above. It was beautiful in a way that nothing else was, the place they'd been born and raised. Their eyes had opened to take in these walls, this sky. 

It had never felt empty before, yet Mikasa and Armin were both hollow before Izanami's throne.

No sun ever rose in the nightlands, nor over the temple, and the eerie glow of the moon bathed them in ethereal light. Izanami let those eyes of hers creep over them where they knelt in front of her. She did not have a pupil, or an iris to speak of. Her eyes were solid black, pinpoints of white in them shining like the stars in the sky. Galaxies twisted through her gaze, fluid and vast, universes flowing across the eternal night of her stare. It was breathtaking, no matter how many times Mikasa saw it, and even as irritation soared in her veins she still found herself admiring the beauty of her creator. Pale skin that had never been touched by daylight, not sickly or sallow but perfectly smooth. The finest ivory, the most flawless stone. Yet soft, and silken, covered by flowing robes that were blacker than anything she'd ever laid eyes on. Impossibly black, swallowing up the light around it. Her hair was the same shade, so long that Mikasa wondered how she did not step on it. It dripped to the floor beneath her, never tangled, never dirtied. Always shining and soft and otherworldly, but then Izanami was the lady of the night. Mikasa remembered being clutched in those arms of hers, black locks held tight in her small fists. Why did she go through the trouble of creating her children so young, watching them grow, when they could spring from her hands fully formed? Mikasa did not understand, and had a feeling she never would. Yokai were not usually driven by curiosity, nor did they ask for things, or question their lot in life. They were made by their lady to serve her, to keep her company in the nightlands she ruled, sometimes going to Earth at her bidding to fight the ferals, and that was more than enough.

Or it was supposed be.

"Send us back. They still need our help. They're in danger." Izanami leaned back into the plush red silk of her throne, crossing her legs with a languid motion. Fabric and hair slipping down around her, and when she smiled, her teeth were sharp and white.

"Who needs your help." It was a question, and yet it was not. Armin remained silent as he stared at the floor, knowing that their lady was toying with them, but Mikasa just clenched her fists before continuing.

"Eren. Levi. His people." Izanami ran a finger over her crimson lips, licking at her canines.

"Levi will turn soon. He and Eren will not be in danger. My children will be safe. My son will bring his new mate into these walls to greet me once he's turned, and then they will return defeat their enemies in my name. Earth is their home, but it is not yours." Mikasa bared her teeth for a moment, taking a few deep breaths before she could speak in a voice that did not shake with rage.

"Levi's people are still in danger. Is it not your place to protect humans anymore? Are we to let them be slaughtered?" Hushed whispers lit up the shadowed corners of the shrine, the yokai there disbelieving that one of Izanami's demons would speak to her this way. Their lady just smiled, predatory and knowing.

"I don't think there is much danger to be had. Very few of Levi's people will be harmed. Unless there are specific humans you are worried about, daughter?" Armin eyed Mikasa warily, holding his tongue. Shrine yokai often had physical relations with humans, but they were not serious. It was something done absently, and without attachment. If you were born of the shrine, admitting you cared for a human was seen as pathetic, and there was no yokai prouder than Mikasa. Armin watched her clench her jaw, eyes narrowing on Izanami in a way that would be dangerous coming from anyone else. Izanami just smiled, unfazed.

"Eren's mate cares for his men quite a lot. He'll be devastated to lose any of them." Their lady uncrossed her legs, stretching out sinuously with her toes pointed before relaxing back into her seat.

"As I'm sure Eren was devastated to lose his entire village to the teeth of ferals. Many of my turned yokai lost their families, their friends, everyone they held dear. It is not my place to protect all the humans on Earth, but to help them protect themselves. I am not a savior. I am a guide." Mikasa hissed, making the yokai nearby shrink back from her, but Izanami leaned forward. Mouth open, eyes lighting up with the brightness of stars, wide and unafraid.

"All it would take is a wave of your hand to send us back to Earth. You are selfish, sitting idle on your throne while humanity suffers." Their lady laughed, and the sound echoed through the room, cavernous and otherworldly.

"All it would take is a name from your lips. You are prideful, and unwilling to bend. It is beautiful, yet dangerous." Mikasa's tail flicked through the air, lips pulling back from her teeth again before she stalked from the dais, leaving Armin there alone. Izanami turned to him, meeting his eyes with a much softer smile. "I know you will speak it in an instant. Give me a name, love. Tell me which of mankind's children you worry for, and I will send you back to him." The blonde shook his head with a sigh, looking over his shoulder where Mikasa had fled for a moment before turning back to his lady.

"I'll talk to Mikasa first. Make her see reason, and then we can go together. I don't want to leave her behind." Izanami leaned forward, reaching out to brush stray locks out of Armin's eyes.

"You are one of my most precious creations. Go to her, and then come back to me, and I will hear the names of those you would protect."

Armin went after his friend, and Izanami let her head fall back against her chair, staring at the open sky above her. Soon Eren would come with his mate, and she could not help but smile. He had a hard road ahead of him, and his victory was not guaranteed, but Izanami had faith.

Her son and Levi would defeat their foes, and then they would defeat hers. It might take a thousand years, two thousand, but Ryujin would fall beneath the claws of her children.

Then maybe, just maybe, Izanami could sleep.

....................................................

 

Erwin had been taken by a group of Trostians, dressed in the guise of Garrison troops, as he patrolled close to the Wall. Searching for a weakness, as Levi had been planning to do that very day. The contingent of scouts with him were dead now, shot full of arrows. Their bodies were still burning, and Levi could just barely see the smoke coiling into the sky from the east. They were closer to the Wall than any of the others could get, hidden by Eren, Levi scowling at the stones as though he could fell them with his gaze. Just the two of them, the high grasses climbing up to their waists, blowing lazily in the breeze. Calm, and untroubled. It always pissed the scout off, how beautiful and serene nature could be in the face of devastation. Blood soaked into the ground, yokai feasting on the bones of his men.

The sun in the sky overhead, warm and magnanimous. Shining down on the world as though it wasn't falling apart, and Levi hated it with everything he was sometimes.

"We can't wait. We need to get in there now, just you and me. You can hide us. We can get Erwin out of there, then go back after my change and take care of whoever is running the show. Annie, most likely." Eren's tail coiled tighter around Levi's leg, both their slitted gazes locked on Rose.

"You'll be thrown into a heat soon. In the middle of things, if we're not careful. We'll have to mate again before we go, otherwise you'll be a liability instead of an asset. Then it will be a waiting game. You might start the shift while we're trying to save Erwin. Wings shooting out and all, unable to remain concealed. It would be better to wait, but then I don't know how long it will be before you can control your wings, to retract them. So if you want to go, we can go. But I must take you first, and then you need to be ready if you start the change. It will hurt, but not horrifically so. Mostly just where your horns and wings come out. The tail isn't so bad." 

They were discussing Levi's transformation as though it were totally normal. A shift in the weather, the changing of the seasons.

Levi turning into a demon, horns and wings and a furry tail. Eyes slitted already, grey and feline in his skull. They were sharper, even now, picking out details he'd never noticed before. He could see the soldiers atop the wall, though the distance should make that impossible. Levi was already stronger, keener, faster.

Once he had wings, he would be unstoppable. Whoever thought it was a good idea to claim his city, to imprison his teacher, to threaten his family?

They would regret it soon enough. Levi was sure of it.

" 'I must take you first.' You're so fucking romantic, yokai. I'm swooning over here." Eren talked about mating Levi in that same mundane way they spoke about his change, and even in the midst of all the danger they were facing, it rankled him. He realized how stupid it was, but he did not have time to dwell on it, because Eren tackled him into the high grass. It towered over them, blocking out everything but the sky above, bright and wide and impossibly blue.

"Oh, little mate, I'm sorry. Shall I woo you first?" Eren was on top of him, kneeling between his thighs, face pressed in close. He nuzzled into Levi's throat, mouthing at his ear. "Shall I tell you how perfect you are? How beautiful those demon eyes look staring back at me?"

"No. Shut up, I don't want-" The yokai bit down on his pulse point, tongue laving at the flesh there briefly, stealing all of Levi's words. The demon's were a whisper when they came, brushing over the scout's skin in a caress.

"Or should I tell you how about how long I waited, alone in the darkness of the nightlands, wondering who my mate would be? How much better you are than anything I could have imagined? Not in my wildest dreams could I have come up with anyone so flawless. Vicious and furious and unmerciful. Breathtaking in ways I never expected." Eren's hands were sliding into Levi's clothes, unbuckling the straps of his harness, laying it open before him. A gift he unwrapped with careful hands, unwilling to damage the treasure inside. The yokai poured more words into Levi's ear, dripping with affection, and the scout shuddered at the sound. "Shall I tell you how sweet you taste, Levi? How much I love the way my name sounds coming from your lips?" The last thing he said was breathy and low, and Levi felt it inside his chest. Filling up his lungs, flowing through his veins. The air he breathed, all that he was, a slave to this yokai. "How I can't wait for those wings of yours to spring forth, and then I'll spread my thighs wide so you can _take me._ "

"Nnnngh..." Levi made a strangled sound as Eren took his mouth, tugging his pants down his thighs. It felt wrong, on some level, to be doing this while Erwin was in so much danger, but his yokai was right. Levi would be a ticking time bomb if they did not come together once more, and Eren seemed sure that after this, he would finish his transition without being thrown into a heat again. He should probably be nervous, or worried, but he was not. All he felt was a strange but familiar anticipation. One he'd sensed before in the trees outside the walls, a quietness of nature, a heaviness in the air. Certain that something would happen, but unsure of what it would be.

This time he knew, and he was not afraid.

Eren's hands were hungry on him, clutching at his arms as he shoved Levi's knees into his chest. The scout's pants and harness held his legs together awkwardly, but even still mostly clothed, the yokai was reverent. Brushing his fingers across Levi's thighs, thumbing over his lips. He stroked the hair out of the scout's eyes as he pressed inside, slowly, gently. Levi's body opened for him, slick and ready and recognizing _Eren, mine, mate..._ With his harness in the way, Eren could not reach Levi's mouth with his own, so he touched it instead. His lips, his cheeks, his face. Hot fingers danced over the scout's skin, possessive and full of adoration. The yokai looked at him as though he was some sort of miracle, and Levi found himself flushing. Not at Eren's cock buried inside of him, but at the love in those bright, slitted eyes. Total devotion, shameless and unchecked. His black horns glinted in the sunlight, tail curling around Levi's exposed thigh. Voice low and broken, ragged with desire.

"Love you, little mate." 

Levi couldn't find his own voice, not while Eren was looking at him that way. Nodded instead, feeling the yokai's fingers against his skin as he did so. They were on the ground, in the dirt. The grass pressed flat beneath his back and it scratched at his hips, at his spine. Levi could smell the earth underneath, fragrant and strong, as though it had rained recently. He heard a bird singing, somewhere, and the sun shone hot on his face. Filtering through the tall, dry blades to throw shadows on them, wind blowing softly back and forth, and Levi should not feel so at ease.

For the first time in his life, it felt as though he'd been born of this land. Had crawled out of its depths fully formed, a part of the ground and the trees and the sky. With this demon filling him up, it did not matter where they were.

Eren made Levi _belong._ Decades of being out of place, and he'd finally found home. In Eren's arms, pressed under his weight, between his hands. 

When they were done, Levi would pull on his clothes, brush the dirt from his cloak. The yokai would pick stray blades of grass out of Levi's hair, smiling, tail coiling eagerly around the scout's legs, his wrist, his waist. They would go over the walls together, creeping unseen through their enemies. A danger that lurked in the ether, invisible and sharp and without mercy. They would find Erwin, and free him. Find Levi's father. They would bring down these soldiers, and open the gates at Wall Rose to let their allies pour in. But not yet. Not now.

Because now the yokai was moving, making desperate sounds, and Levi did not try to hold back his own. Let them pour from his lips and fill up the air around them. Even if someone was close, no one would be able to hear. It was music they wrought with their mouths, a symphony of lust for their ears alone, and Levi could listen to it forever.

Would listen, until the stars shifted in the sky, exploding into emptiness. Until the earth gave way beneath them, crumbling away into dust. Until the very heavens fell to pieces, and there was nothing but but a void of blackness.

Levi would drift into it with this yokai, a smile on his face as everything there was came to an end.


	31. Family

"Just bring us all with you.  Have your yokai hide us and we can attack from inside with the whole squad.  We have no way of knowing what's happening in there once you go over."  

Jean's arms were crossed as he glared northward, where Wall Rose lay unseen just over a rise in the landscape.  They'd ridden as close to it as they dared once Levi summoned them from the barracks, trying to decide the best course of action.  All of them restless, shifting from one foot to the other, fingers twitching towards their swords.  Levi shook his head at Jean's words, adjusting the straps on his harness until they laid smoothly against his clothes.  Ymir eyed him with a wry stare, as though she knew quite well how her Captain's gear had ended up in such disarray.  Sasha and Historia lingered nearby as well, the archer having returned to the south gate house once she saw the smoke coiling into the sky in the east.  She had her bow in hand, running her hands up and down the smooth wood, as though drawing comfort from the gesture.  Connie had not yet come back with his squad, and Levi had no way of knowing if the scout was aware of Erwin's capture or still searched for him at the northern barracks.  All of Hange's giddy euphoria from before had faded quickly one they found out Erwin had been captured, those wild eyes locked towards the north just as Jean's were, mind working in dark directions that Levi could not even fathom.  Historia, Sasha and Ymir were still glancing at Eren from time to time, a mixture of wariness and curiosity.  The yokai either did not notice their stares, or did not care, standing next to Levi and watching the horizon.

"No.  Eren can't hide all of you at once, and I don't want to risk mounting an attack on their forces here before Erwin is secure.  My father, too.  If they managed to get a hold of Erwin surrounded by his own men, there's no way the MP's kept Leven out of their hands.  If we attack, they might just execute them."

"If they haven't already."  It was muttered under Jean's breath, but everyone heard it clearly.  Knew it was possible, even as they glared at him.  Levi continued with a sigh, those truths weighing heavily on his mind.

"If they haven't already.  So Eren and I will get into the Inner Hall and find Erwin and my Father, if we can, and get them out.  Then we'll take out the soldiers on top of the wall and open the gates so you guys can ride into city."  

The scouts were already prepared for battle, fresh blades in their sheaths, Sasha and her archers laden with arrows.  The rest of the scouts from the south gate were a hundred yards or so away, mounts saddled, ready to fight.  There was a messenger from the east barracks, waiting to take orders back to the scouts there.  They'd burned the bodies of their comrades that morning, soldiers who had died trying to protect their leader, smoke from the corpses still scenting the air even so far away.  Ashes of scouts blowing away into wind at the west gate, the barracks there a charred heap.  Coals from a fire still burning hot in the east, a scout from the west lingering with blood on his hands.  Drying on his clothes, caked on his skin, all that was left of his friends now that the flames of their pyre had gone out. He was eager for Levi to say the word, to give the signal to move, to fight.  

Eager to claim vengeance.

Levi's scouts had never been more ready to wield their blades than in that moment.  Fighting against the yokai was one thing, but they despised the ferals in a passive sort of way.  The way one hated a storm which tore down their home, or a flood that swallowed their lands.  A force of nature, dangerous and hostile, but unthinking.  Wind blew over trees, lightning set fire to the ground, rain washed away crops.

Yokai sought out their flesh, jaws snapping in hunger, mouths desperate to be filled.

To have humans taking the lives of their people was something else entirely, and it ignited a rage inside of them that could only be quelled with blood.  Perhaps violence should not always be answered in kind, but looking at the scouts gathered around him, eyes still filled with the fires that turned their brothers to soot...

There was only one way to take back their city, to save Erwin and open the gates so these scouts could get to their families, their friends.  

With steel, and arrows, and Eren's sharp teeth.

His men were not happy with the order to _wait,_ however, and Ymir was the first to speak.  She did not dance around the issue, or hesitate to address the worst case scenario.

"What if they're already dead?  Or something happens, and you don't make it back?  We're supposed to just fucking wait here?  What if everything goes to shit in there?"   Hange spoke up, not looking at them, eyes still looking north.

"Flares.  We'll send the fastest horse and rider to the west gates, I'll head back with the messenger from the east, tell them to be ready to move on the wall.  If things go bad when you're inside Wall Sina, fire off some red smoke.  We'll take that as our signal to attack.  We won't be able to get all the way to the north wall so quickly, but we can send someone their way all the same.  Sasha and her squad will pick off the men on Rose one by one as they try to fire on us.  They have archers at the other gatehouses, too.  Fire off the smoke, and we move in."  After a few moments Levi nodded, getting one back from Ymir in turn.  It could work.  Would have to, but Jean was not satisfied.

"What if you can't fire off a flare in time?  What if you're stuck inside?  What if you... what if you're killed, or captured?  We still need to get inside those walls.  I won't wait forever for a signal that might not come.  How long will it take you, to get in there and get to the Commander, if he's still alive, and get back?"  When Jean asked what to do if Levi was killed, the Captain felt Eren's tail wrap around his wrist painfully tight.  Those slitted green eyes bored into him, promising violence to anyone who raised a hand to Levi.

 _I don't let you be killed, little mate._   Eren's voice in his head, fierce and full of determination.  Levi looked at the yokai, trying to keep his expression neutral.  No one else needed to know that they could speak this way.  His scouts were twitchy enough around Eren as it was.       

 _I know you won't._   Something dark passed over the demon's face then, and his brows furrowed together.

 _I mean it.  Even if Erwin dies, or your village burns to the ground.  You need to know, I will save you and leave them all behind, if there is no other choice.  I won't lose you to this._   Levi felt unease swimming in his veins, along with that same determination he saw in Eren's gaze.

 _Give us a chance to win this.  Don't just.... whisk me away to safety while my men could be dying.  Not unless it's hopeless._   A sad smile formed on the yokai's lips, and he reached out to brush the hair out of Levi's eyes.

 _There's always hope.  But don't hate me forever if my last hope is getting you out alive._   Jean's voice sliced through the air, sarcastic and laced with frustration.

"This is sweet and all, Captain, but I need a time frame."

Levi frowned as he looked at his men, considering what he had to do.  It would take them a half hour of hard riding, or running, considering just how breathtakingly fast Eren was, to get from Rose to Sina, maybe a bit longer to get back, if Erwin or Levi's father were in bad shape.  Then he would have to get to the Inner Hall, which is undoubtedly where their enemies would be keeping any prisoners.  There were no cells more secure than those located in the Hall, and they'd be stupid to put Erwin or Leven anywhere else.  The Captain knew Jean well enough to know that he would not wait around all day out here.  All the rest of the scouts, too, were itching for a fight.  If he tried to stay them too long they would storm Wall Rose anyway.  How long would it take?  How long could he expect them to hold off on their attack?

"Three hours.  If we don't get back here, or fire off a green flare, in three hours, you have my permission to move on Wall Rose.  If we shoot off a red flare, fill those ramparts up with arrows."

Ymir, Jean, and Hange shared a glance, the latter finally nodding in agreement before throwing her arms around Levi briefly.

"See you inside Sina, Levi."  She was off without another word, the scout from the eastern wall following after her, and they were mounted and riding away.

A part of Levi wondered if it was the last time he'd ever see her.  He shook the thoughts away, refusing to have such an exchange with the rest of his scouts.  They would get back in time, and then Eren and Levi would take care of the soldiers on Wall Rose, and open the gates for his scouts to come pouring through.

Three hours.  Levi felt a clock ticking somewhere in his chest, sand draining out of an hourglass, a tide slowly rolling in.

Three hours before the waters would swallow up everything he held dear, and his soldiers rode out towards their enemies.    Eren and Levi mounted the rise, flashing out of existence as soon as they were out of sight of the scouts waiting below.  Then they started running towards the wall with all they were, feet eating up the ground beneath them.

They made their way over Wall Rose without incident, Eren keeping them hidden effortlessly.  Levi was in better shape than he should have been, all things considered.  No aching in his bones, no cricks in his back, no sore hips.  No physical sign he'd just been taken in the dirt by his yokai, other than the bite wound lingering at his throat.  The scout minded less than he would have thought, wearing Eren's teeth in his skin with a feeling akin to pride.  There was something swelling inside of Levi, an energy he'd never felt before, swirling through his chest, pooling in his guts.  It was similar to the moment before Eren mated him, a string pulled tight, waiting to be plucked and sing out in triumph.

The change, ready to swallow all Levi was and make him into something new.  Something darker.  Something _better._   It was not an urgent thing, not yet, but the scout knew they did not have much time.  They needed to get Erwin to safety as quickly as possible, and find out what had become of Levi's father.  Determine who had orchestrated this violence against Mitras, before raining down vengeance from within and without.

With the bones of his shoulders shifting in place beneath Levi's skin, his temples throbbing along with his heart, the base of his spine tingling...

Eren and Levi needed to get to Erwin _fast._   The yokai was unsure exactly how long it would take for Levi to transform, having never borne witness to a human's shift personally, other than his own.  That had been thousands of years ago, under different circumstances entirely.  In that moment, Levi realized he was woefully uninformed about what, exactly, would happen to him.  He knew he would grow wings, and horns, a tail curling out of his spine.

That it would hurt.  That he would feel drunk with power when it was complete, ready to fight and fly and fuck until he could barely stand.  That Eren would be thrown into a heat much like Levi's own soon after, and it would be his turn to lay claim to the yokai.  Sink sharp, demonic canines into Eren's neck.  It would be impossible for Eren to hide them with Levi's wings out, and the yokai seemed to think it would take awhile before he could retract them on his own.  All the more reason they needed to resolve things quickly, lest everything devolve into chaos, his yokai a shivering mass of lust for all the world to see.  Not that Levi did not look forward to it, but there was a time and a place for everything.

In the middle of a fight with their enemies was not it, and the scout felt nerves begin to roll through him anew.  If they did not get back soon, his men would storm these walls on their own, and it would be a much harder claimed victory than one taken with his yokai's hands.  Eren could creep through their enemies unseen, slaying them one at a time without even being at risk.  Levi's scouts were not so lucky, and their lives depended on him now even more than before.  The soldiers they weaved through on the top of the wall had Trostian accents, and Levi was not surprised.  It would have been stranger if they'd been from anywhere else, really, considering it was their men lingering in the woods outside Wall Maria.  

Their men taking the lives of people Levi called his brothers.  Their men burned alive in a circle of blades, the unmerciful eyes of his scout's upon them.

Mitras had not been besieged any enemies other than yokai in decades.  To be faced with two at once all of a sudden was unlikely, and he wondered where Annie and her countrymen were now.  Was it she who had led this coup, taking over Mitras's walls somehow?  Had she killed his father?  Or was she holding him hostage, to negotiate with the scouts outside?  Is that what Annie planned to do with Erwin, barter his life for the scout's obedience?  The Commander would rather die than be used to bring Mitras under foreign rule, and Levi damn well knew it.  Erwin's men were nothing if not loyal to him, though, and they would do almost anything to save their leader.  Levi, too, would bend his knee to save Erwin's life if there was no other choice.

But Levi's teeth were sharp in his mouth, nails like claws in his fist, and he'd never felt stronger in his entire life.  Fierce, and aggressive.

Undefeatable.  Especially with Eren by his side.

The pair chose to run from Rose to Sina instead of taking a horse from the stables near the gate.  Levi was as fast as Eren now, and saddling a mount would just slow them down.  Their feet ate up the miles, Eren's fingers laced together with Levi's all the while.  He'd watched his yokai run before, quicker than any horse the scout ever seen, moving like lightning over the tall grass.  It was much different doing so himself, his body pushing itself inhumanly fast, heart soaring as the world seemed to disappear under his feet.  The wind blew Levi's  away from his face, and if there hadn't been so much death looming in all directions, he would have felt profoundly free.

They found the inner wall completely unmanned once they climbed up to stand on Sina, Levi using his gear while Eren scaled it bare handed.  The scout frowned, the empty ramparts looking forlorn and strange without soldiers moving atop them.  

_Blood._   There was blood spattered on the stone here and there.  Puddling in places, others painted with crimson spray in wild slashing lines.  He had not noticed any at Wall Rose, not like this anyway.  A battle had raged here, and Levi had a feeling that even more of his allies had fallen than he realized.  If the Mitrian troops who had been on the walls were not all dead, they'd most likely been taken to the  Military Police's holding facility near their headquarters, just down the road from the Inner Hall.  Levi would see them freed as well, if he had enough time.  Let the MP's attack from within while his scout's attacked from without, and they would take back their city in no time at all.

The Captain had never seen the wall this way, so totally abandoned, and after a few moments he realized it was a good thing.  His enemies did not have enough soldiers to man both Rose and Sina at once, and had elected to keep Levi's scouts out to protect themselves, rather than worry about any trouble from inside.  On one hand, it would be harder for his men to break through the defenses of Wall Rose without Levi's help.

It would also be much easier for Eren and Levi to tear them apart, without soldiers flying down from Wall Sina to reinforce their allies.  Levi wasted no time, gearing down to ground inside Wall Sina, Eren landing next to him in a crouch, tail wrapped around his leg.  The yokai had never been in the village center, and even so close to the walls there were usually people milling around.  Bantering back and forth with the Military Police troops who kept watch, chasing after their rowdy children, pushing carts full of grain or fruits and vegetables.

Now it was empty of Mitrians, the only people moving through the streets Trostian soldiers, eyes darting around.  A ghost town, devoid of life, blood in the dirt here, too.  Telling  a story of resistance, futile though it might have been.  Levi noticed people peering out of their windows, worried expression on their faces.  _Good,_   he thought.  _Stay inside, stay quiet._   If they could hold on a few more hours, their sons and daughter would be storming these streets.  Brother and sisters, fathers and mothers, taking back what was theirs with righteous fury.

They moved quickly towards the center of the village, not worried about stealth, flying through the streets as fast as their feet would carry them.  Eren was watching carefully, trying to take everything in as they sailed past.

 _Where are we headed, Levi?_   The scout did not spare him a glance, just kept running straight ahead.

 _It's just up here, around the next corner. We'll head up the front steps, and-_ A scream cut through the air, and Levi had heard that sound before. It was a cry that preceded death, and he pushed himself even faster, suddenly desperate.

Levi's thoughts trailed off as he skidded to a stop, the Inner Hall coming into view. There was a large group of soldiers there in front of the entrance, gathered around a kneeling figure bound in chains, a pool of blood spreading out below him. Blond hair, wearing a scouting uniform, filthy though it might be.

 _Erwin._ It was Erwin, clutching at the place where his right arm had been, crimson fluid shooting between his fingers in spurts. Silent now, the only sound the laughter of the soldiers nearby. Levi's vision was painted a furious red, heat starting to pulse up and down his back. There was an ache in his head, like it was about to split in two, and he fought back a rage filled scream. 

"Levi!" Eren shook him, trying to get his attention, but Levi could not think through the anger soaring through him. An inhuman viciousness creeping through his veins, the base of his spine itching. It felt as though his teeth were shifting in his mouth, grinding together. Levi thought he could _hear_ them, like broken shards of porcelain scraping against each other. _Now. Fuck, why now?_ Levi knew what was happening, could feel it in his bones. Bones that were too big in his skin, stretching it painfully, desperate for release. He was changing. Right here, right now.

"Levi! Are you okay?" A new voice broke through the din in Levi's mind, one that he should not be hearing. Words coming out of a mouth that was supposed to have long ago fallen silent, swallowed down into the bellies of yokai.

"Levi! Do tell us, are you okay? You look a bit worse for wear."

Levi pulled his eyes up, vision starting to blur as he began seeing double, but it was not so bad that he could not see his uncle Kenny standing a few yards away. Holding Leven's severed head in his hands almost absently, as though he'd forgotten it was there.

Looking right at them with a smile on his face, his eyes slitted and feline.


	32. Yokai

Levi clutched at his hair with one hand, the other flying out to stop him from going face first into the ground as he fell to his knees. Eren edged in front of his mate, teeth bared at the figure before them, his blood surging up in recognition of a foe. _Son of Ryujin._ The words whispered through his mind, his instincts sharp and certain. He could feel it down in his bones, that this man was tied to his Lady's enemy. Those slitted eyes of his, teeth too sharp, scent closer to that of a yokai than a human. He did not have horns, or a tail, but if he was Ryujin's pawn, then they could be hidden from Eren's sight. The soldiers surrounding Erwin could see them both, though they did not appear to notice his horns or tail, which meant Levi's change was imminent. The magic too strong to be tamed, on the brink of transformation, and it was obvious enough by the way the scout acted. Hands trembling, teeth grinding in his mouth, shoulders twitching up towards his head. Levi mumbled out words laced with confusion, looking up at the man in front of them, shell shocked and glassy eyed.

"You... Uncle Kenny, you're... you're dead. You're supposed to be dead. Eaten by yokai." _Uncle Kenny._ It was the former chieftain, the one who had sat upon the throne before Levi's father took over. One who had been attacked by ferals, bitten and consumed, his bones left to rot in the forest.

One whose death didn't quite take, apparently. He was there, whole and well, rife with dark energy that the yokai could almost taste. Eren knew Ryujin was responsible for that, even if he could not fathom why, nor could he spare the time to puzzle it out. Not with his mate weaving back and forth on his knees, breath coming in gasps, spine trying to twist apart. Kenny took a step forward, eliciting a vicious snarl from Eren, tail whipping around to flick through the air between them. Ready to snatch at a weapon, or a stray limb, or anything it could reach. The man did not bat an eye at the demon, though he did pause where he stood, grinning viciously.

"About that. I had some things to take care of here." Kenny tossed the severed head he held forward, and it bounced across the dirt, rolling to a stop in front of Levi. "Your father being one of them." Eren spared a glance behind him for Levi, who was still kneeling, brushing filthy blood soaked strands away from long dead eyes, grief heavy in his voice.

"Why? You betrayed Mitras, for what? For Trost? Killed my father, to satisfy some foreign chieftain?" Levi's eyes fell closed and he shuddered violently, but whether it was due to the change or his anguish, Eren couldn't be sure. The scout fumbled at his belt, snatching up the flare gun briefly before it fell from his unsteady fingers and clattered to the earth. The yokai was full of rage, desperate to get his mate out of there, palms itching to get Levi to safety. Kenny laughed, low and dark, hands finding the hilts of his swords but not drawing them.

"I killed your father because he tried to kill me first. Because I was going to kill you, send you to your death clearing yokai from the dam to solidify my alliance with Trost. You would've gotten it done, stubborn shit that you are, but you wouldn't have made it out alive. Then I wouldn't have to listen to all these fucking traitors whisper about how much better life would be if Leven were chieftain and you were heir. But he caught wind of it, and arranged to have me taken out. To keep you safe. I want you to take a good look at what's left of your father, and know that it's your fault he's dead. He'd have been better off if you died in some back alley in the city you were born in. Sending Erwin after you was a mistake for both of them. I mean, look at where it got the Commander!"

Eren could feel more than hear his growl increase in volume, the very vibrations hostile. He wanted to eat this man alive for hurting his mate, hurting his family. Taking his father from him. Trying to take his friend as well, Erwin bleeding out as they spoke. Levi tugged a smoke canister out of his pouches, picking up the flare gun and struggling to load it when he stopped and looked over at Erwin. Eren watched Levi blink several times, squinting towards the Commander, but probably unable to see that far with the change sinking over him like a cloud. It was for the best, because things did not bode well for the blond scout master. He'd gone unearthly still, though his hand still clutched at his bleeding stump, crimson oozing between his fingers. Erwin's eyes were closed, his breathing shallow, skin pale and sallow. He looked like death, but Eren could not muster up any real concern for him. The yokai wanted nothing more than to snatch Levi up and fly away with him, leaving Erwin and the rest of the scout's men to their fates. Then he remembered Levi's voice, eyes fierce, brows drawn together.

_'Don't just whisk me away to safety while my men could be dying. Not unless it's hopeless.'_

Levi would _never_ forgive him. Images of his village flashed through his mind, his mother, his friends, the elders. All bloody and broken under the mouths of yokai, and he would've given anything for someone to come to their rescue in those moments. Eren could not abandon Levi's people, because even if it was dangerous for his mate, there was still a chance. It was not hopeless, but all their plans had fallen into ruin in the face of this new enemy. One with the eyes of a demon, Levi's father's head, and no trace of fear even as Eren bared razor sharp teeth at him and growled with all the rancor he possessed. Thousands of years of impotent rage pouring out, and Kenny did not even blink. 

They had not taken out the soldiers on Wall Rose because it would have taken too much time, and they needed to get Erwin and Leven to safety. But there was no saving Levi's father, not anymore. Eren's heart would break for him later, when they had room to breathe, because he knew the sorrow that came with losing a parent. In that moment, there was no space for grief, and Eren found himself taking the flare gun from Levi and loading the canister just like the scout had shown him. They would not be heading to the wall anytime soon, nor would stalling be of any use. At least if Jean and the other scouts mounted their offensive on Wall Rose, there would be no reinforcements coming to Kenny's aid. Not that he needed them, really. Eren stood alone against him and his soldiers, with his mate vulnerable behind him, writhing on the ground in agony.

The yokai shot the flare straight up, red smoke climbing into the sky, and he wondered how many men he was sending to their deaths in that moment. They would have moved out on their own in a little less than an hour, but there were still shadows crawling through the yokai's mind. A feeling of responsibility. One he shoved aside roughly, because Levi was in danger, at least until he completed the change. Eren could see blood trickling down from the scout's temples, and Levi was contorting, trying to paw at his shoulder blades. Eren wished there was something he could do, but there was nothing that would help Levi, and the yokai had to keep his eyes on their enemies. The soldiers surrounding Erwin watched the flare shoot higher, leveling harsh glares on Eren, though Kenny didn't seem bothered by it. Laughed again, drawing his swords in a smooth gesture, chest heaving with mirth.

"Gonna call Levi's little scouts to the rescue? All right then. Guess it's time to finish things here before the fun starts. Levi my boy, I'd say it's been nice knowing you, but it really hasn't. You've been a pain in my ass ever since you showed up here, all skin and bones with a shit attitude. See you in hell, son."

_No, you won't._

Eren pulled his hand up to his mouth as Kenny took a step forward, teeth sinking savagely into the pad of his thumb. His wings erupted from his back in a rush, feathers brushing over Levi as they did so, one of them moving on its own to cover his prone form. To hide him in soft black down. Keep him safe, until his own wings sprung forth. 

"E-Eren... Fuuuuck..." Levi sounded wrecked, voice rough and miserable, shoulders heaving like he was fighting the urge to vomit. The scout was in the dirt on his side now, one hand clutching the base of his spine, the other grabbing at his bloody temple. Eren fell into a crouch as the Trostian soldiers exploded at the sight of his true form, horns curling up from his head, giant wings on his back, tail curving around in front of him to coil through the air. _It's a yokai, he's a deviant, the one with wings that took a scout away when the horde invaded, he's dangerous,_ on and on, endless and intermingling with each other. Eren wasn't listening, but reaching down to stroke Levi's hair, eyes never leaving Kenny.

"Shhhh, I know, it hurts. It'll all be over soon, little mate." Levi tried to get to his feet, prying his eyes open to see Kenny too close with his swords drawn. Tried and failed, falling back to the ground in a heap, but still managing to pull one of his swords out. Levi held the hilt tight in his fist, tip pointed skyward and listing back and forth as he tried to keep it steady.

"You're right, kid. It will be over soon. I know just what it feels like, what you're going through right now. It'll be so fucking nice to add to your misery before you even open up those wings of yours." A few of the Trostians cocked their heads, unsure if they'd heard correctly, but they did not say anything. Kenny moved in closer as he spoke, unfazed by the yokai's appearance, and Eren reached down to unsheathe his own steel. "Oh, kill Commander Smith for me, boys. I'd like Levi to hear it before I bury this sword in his neck." A choked noise escaped Levi's throat, and it was like a knife in Eren's gut, full of pain and frustration.

"NO! ERWIN!" 

Levi lurched forward, attempting to crawl towards the Commander on limbs that did not want to function. His back was bleeding now, gore seeping through the fabric of his uniform, and Eren moved in front of him again. Standing between Levi and Kenny, wings itching to take to the skies with his mate in tow. Eren looked from Kenny to Erwin and back, dread in his chest, because he could not do anything to save the man. Not while Levi was helpless, this son of Ryujin out for his blood, eyes full of fire and the need for vengeance. The yokai took a fighting stance again, sword lifted high, and Kenny grinned at him before he lunged.

_Fuck._

From the corner of his eyes, Eren could see the soldiers surrounding Erwin dragging the man to his knees, could hear them arguing about who got to swing the death blow. Eren blocked Kenny's first strike, kicking out at his stomach and trying to drive him back. Kenny was fast, faster than a human had any right to be, and as the yokai watched the man duck out of the way of his foot he knew without a doubt. This one was yokai, as surely as he and Mikasa and Armin were. Kenny swung his blade again, and it clashed against Eren's own, metal singing against metal. The ragged blond seemed to delight in the fray, grinning as he struck again and again. He was not so much skilled as aggressive, blows falling heavy on Eren's steel, but every time the demon tried to hit something vital Kenny blocked or evaded. Escaped a deadly hit to his guts, ducked away from a chop that would've taken his head. Danced out of the path of a strike to his side, parrying and dodging, all the while raining down blows of his own. 

Eren was at a disadvantage, because he could not let Kenny get in between him and Levi, so he fought with a limited range. The man tried to draw him out, attempting to get Eren to move away from the scout on the ground to no avail. Levi's shaking had intensified, though he'd managed to crawl back up to his hands and knees, blood dripping down his face, seeping through his clothes. Eren could smell it, and it was hard to keep his focus on Kenny when his mate needed him more than ever. Then the yokai felt it, power surging through the air, pouring out of Levi in waves. It was like static around the scout, electricity swelling up, invisible but potent. 

The change. Moments away, and even if Levi could not fly yet, he would be able to fight. To defend himself. To help save his friend.

The yokai let his gaze flit over to Erwin, horror swirling in him, wild and visceral. Making his lungs tight, his jaws clench, his bones ache. The Trostians had evidently reached a decision on which of them would execute Erwin, because one of them stood behind the Commander, sword raised. All Eren could do was watch, helpless, as the blade arced down towards Erwin's neck. Sharp and merciless, ready to slice him in two.

Ready to rip away something else dear to Levi. One more person he loved, torn apart and broken.

A flash of light strobed, blindingly bright, making Eren's eyes close as he cringed. He blocked Kenny's next strike on instinct, blinking through the white spots in his vision, only to find himself smiling.

Armin was there next to Erwin, ceremonial blade in hand, dressed in the robes of Izanami's temple. Horns and tail visible for all to see, red wings splayed out behind him, emerging from slits in his clothes. His sword clashed with the soldier's, the superior metal of their Lady rending the other man's steel in half, one piece clattering uselessly to the ground. The little demon did not hesitate, driving his blade into the soldier's stomach before lifting up a foot and kicking him backwards off the sword. The Trostian fell to the ground, guts spilling out into into bloody hands before he went deadly still. Armin looked back towards Erwin, who was slumped forward, still holding onto the gory remnant of his right arm. The blond yokai's face turned vicious, and he spit at the corpse of the man he'd just slain, shooting Eren a grim glance before letting his gaze settle on the rest of the soldiers surrounding him.

"By the grace of my Lady, I've come to claim vengeance for me and mine." 

Kenny had paused in his assault with that bright flash of light, going wide eyed at the appearance of another demon, but his distraction was short lived. Eren landed a glancing strike in his leg, missing the artery in Kenny's thigh by mere inches, scowling at his error. He needed to bring this man down quickly so he and Armin could free the Military Police that Levi seemed to think were imprisoned nearby. Once released and armed, they could reclaim this city on their own, along with Jean and the scouts attacking from the outside. Eren could wrap Levi up in his arms and take his mate to the safety of the nightlands once he transformed. To meet Izanami, and then when Eren was thrown into his heat, they could find some dark corner of her temple. Hide from prying eyes, and there where Eren had spent so many centuries alone, Levi could claim him. Mark him and mate him, and then nothing on in the heavens or on earth could tear them apart.

So he attacked with renewed vigor, eager to bury his blade in Kenny's neck, but the man gave him no ground. He met every strike with one of his own, and causing Eren to backpedal more than once, almost running over Levi in the process. The yokai had just knocked Kenny backwards with a heavy blow to his sword when there was another flash. Brighter, with a crackling sound to accompany it, along with a shivering in the air. Night winds, slicing through the air, summoned from Izanami's very realm. Light throwing shadows all around, the whole world illuminated strangely, like lightning striking absent a thunderstorm. Eren felt it before he saw anything, a warmth that settled in his chest, heart beating louder somehow. Power, and strength, and vitality.

Heat, and home, and mate.

When he turned everything in him shuddered, those first waves of lust teasing at Eren's skin as he watched Levi stand up. Eren's fingers itching to touch, his mouth hungry to taste.

His thighs eager to spread wide, and take in all Levi had to give, in all of his glory. Eren was lost and breathless in the face of his mate's perfection. Horns curved out from the scouts head just above the temples, black and shining, blood still oozing from their bases. A tail curved around from Levi's back, its furry tip twitching through the air, restless and forlorn. Great black wings broke free from Levi's shoulder blades, twice as tall as the man himself, dwarfing him as they spread out behind him. The feathers were beautiful, and they looked softer than Eren's own, and the yokai wanted to bury his face in them, suddenly. Levi's uniform had been torn where his wings came out, but his harness still clung to him, shirt ragged around his new appendages. There was a necklace around his throat now, appearing from the ether, and even if he couldn't see it Eren knew what it was.

A key just like his own, and later they would use it to enter the nightlands and present to Izanami her newest son. But right then they had enemies to defeat, and Levi turned towards Eren as though he could feel the yokai's eyes on him. Levi's own were bright and feral, still gray but lit up with fury in a way Eren had never seen. He smiled then, and it was breathtaking and terrifying, and Eren had never been so in love. Then he turned those steely, rage filled eyes towards Kenny, and his smile went dark and predatory.

"Oh, Kenny. You shouldn't have come back here. Did you learn nothing from my father?"


	33. Pain

It was easier than Jean anticipated to get the rest of the scouts to dismount and await Levi's signal.  He'd expected them to rail against him and insist on storming the wall right away, unwilling to wait on their Captain's orders.  When they'd climbed off their horses and split up into battle formations to hold the position, Jean had been a bit baffled.  Then he realized the only reason he was surprised was because he would not have wanted to listen to such a command, had he been the one receiving it.  Jean was a good scout.  A smart fighter, excellent with his blades and even better with his 3D work.  He had an innate ability to anticipate his opponents movements, to intercept, to evade.  One of the best soldiers under Levi, and no one needed to tell Jean about it, because he already knew.

Patient he was not, and the squad leader remained in his saddle, eyes locked on the sky.  Sasha and her archers stayed mounted as well, spread out along the front line of scouts, ready to ride into action.  All of them clutching their bows, or reaching back to touch them idly, as though to be sure they were there.  Jean did the same thing with his blades, hands worrying at the hilts, tugging his cables out a bit only to let them snap back into his gear.  Nervous energy rolled through them all, everything a contradiction.  Jean wanted to head out, unable to deal with his own restless annoyance at being told to wait.  Yet if they rode on the wall his squads would lose men, of that there was no doubt.  The Trostians on Wall Rose had the superior firing position, and even if Jean was confident his archers were more skilled, it did not negate the fact that their enemies held the high ground.  Sasha and the others _would_ be able to pick them off one by one and clear the way for the rest of the scouts to get to the ramparts.

But some of the scouts would take arrows along the way.  Others would be hit as they geared to the top, helpless while their cables pulled them up, unable to fight back.  Still more would be struck with blades atop Rose, their enemies lying in wait, ready to strike before the scouts feet hit the stone.  Jean would be ordering them into a fight they would not get out of unscathed, and these scouts would follow those orders without fail.  Would run to their deaths, swords in hand and teeth bared.  No hesitation, ready to do whatever it took to get to their families, their friends.  To take back their home.  Nothing would be better than to see Levi shoot a green flare into the sky, and then Jean and his men could ride through those gates into the city unopposed and see what havoc Trost had wrought there.

So when Jean watched red smoke climbing towards the heavens, signaling that something had gone wrong inside, the first thing he thought was, _oh, no.  Levi._

Then with guilt swirling in his chest, Jean thought, _Yes.  Finally._   He took the reigns in his left hand, drawing a blade with his right more out of habit than necessity, and with a voice he'd never heard before Jean shouted out to his men.

"Move out!  Squad Kirstein!  Squad Reiss!  Squad Ymir!  Left, right, center, keep those arrows off our archers!  Squad Braus, split up and get firing!  Support squads mount up and hold your positions!  Go, go go!  Let's clear this gate!"

Almost three dozen scouts were in motion instantly, fanning out as they mounted the natural rise in the terrain that had protected them from the eyes of the Trostians on the wall.  Sasha's archers held back for a moment, letting the other scouts draw their enemies eyes before surging forward, bows at the ready.  After the last of them vanished over the hill Jean followed, and the sight that met him was both beautiful and terrifying.  His scouts were all in perfect formation, their horses weaving back and forth flawlessly, and the enemy had noticed them but not yet started firing arrows into their ranks.  Jean could hear faint shouting from the ramparts, orders being yelled here and their, the soldiers readying to strike back.

Then Sasha gave a loud command, _'Loose!'_ , and arrows began sailing through the air up towards the top of the wall.  Some of them fell short, pinging off the stone to fall to the ground uselessly.  Others went long, flying over their targets without impacting.  They were shooting from horseback after all, and with such mobility, accuracy was often sacrificed.  But Sasha's squad was better than any other when it came to wielding those bows, and a handful of Trostians fell forward off the ramparts, arrows buried in their  faces, their necks, their shoulders.  Even if the shots were not fatal the fall would be, and Jean listened to them slam into the ground with a sickening crunch.  Maybe later on, once the adrenaline of battle had faded and these bodies were burned away to nothing, Jean would feel guilty.

In that moment, there was only one less enemy to fight with each fallen soldier, and he delighted as they crashed into the earth one after another.  The archers were doing well, choosing their shots wisely, trying to take down those enemies that were close to edge to ensure a fatal blow.  But it could not last forever, and soon there was a line of Trostians along the front of the wall, arrows nocked in their bows.

Flaming arrows, ready to burn his men alive where they stood.  The scouts did not set fire to their arrows, mostly because it was inconvenient to do so on horseback, not to mention dangerous.  Nor did they want to fight their way through flames once they reached the ramparts, worrying about their enemies as well as avoiding fires that they had started themselves.  The Trostians had no such qualms, and Jean watched in horror as they streamed to the ground, calling out a warning as he kept an eye on any arrows that came dangerously close to him.  Their shots had been concentrated on Sasha's archers, but they'd been expecting them,  riding out of the way before the volley could impact.  One of Historia's scouts narrowly avoided one, their horse taking the blow instead, and it bucked viciously as the fire singed the flesh on its back leg.  The rider was thrown violently backwards, not realizing what had happened to the mount, nor expecting the horse to buck that way.

They landed so wrong that Jean knew they wouldn't be getting back up again.  Head twisted at an unnatural angle, body twitching, and Jean couldn't even spare a second glance.   Not with fire raining down from the sky, his men struggling to evade as the archers let off round after round of arrows.  More enemies were struck down, and they littered the ground in front of Wall Rose like so much trash.  Rotten fruit piled beneath a tree, lumps in the earth, sour and useless.  Some of them not quite still, gurgling out their last words where no one could hear, blood pouring out of broken mouths, lungs now full of bones.

Jean sheathed his sword, only realizing in that moment how tightly he was clutching the blade, along with how pointless it was.  The other scouts not on Sasha's squad who were half decent with a bow drew their weapons, serving more as a distraction than any real threat to the men above.  A couple of soldiers had caught flaming arrows by then, one in the thigh, another in the shoulder.  They leapt from their horses and rolled on the ground, snuffing out the fire before it could do any real damage and heading back to the other scouts.  Their replacements dutifully rode out, and Jean hoped the reserve squad brought the supplies they would need to treat the wounded.   Everything was going smoothly, as far as Jean was concerned.  Only one scout lost, a handful of injuries, and their enemies were falling by the half dozen.  Cracked open by the rocks beneath the wall, or ripped apart by Sasha's arrows.  No one was panicking, all maintaining formation as they moved back and forth over the field, listening to Jean's sporadic orders to spread out, speed up, slow down.  A few commands to Sasha's men to take their time, make their shots count, not to get in a hurry. 

Then a cracking sound split through the air, deafening in the relative quiet, and a scout fell from her horse like a puppet with its strings cut.  Time slowed down as the girl dropped into the dirt, cloak flipping up to cover her head, crimson fluid seeping out from beneath it.  Historia called out a name, but Jean couldn't make it out, all of the blood rushing through his ears at once.  _Guns._   They Scouting Legion and Garrison Troops did not use guns, nor were they kept on the ramparts of the outer walls.  Ammunition was hard to come by, and gunpowder was more precious than gold.  They could not waste the munitions they had on yokai, especially considering that the demons could only be felled by a headshot, and few scouts could achieve such accuracy with a weapon they so rarely used.  The Military Police carried them, but there were maybe a dozen or so in circulation there.  Certainly not enough to arm all these Trostians.  They'd found the armory beneath the Inner Hall and equipped their soldiers, or some of them anyway, and now there was a scout's blood soaking into the earth underneath them.

 _Two._   Two soldiers dead under his command.  By his word, if not his hand, and the moment stretched into infinity as Jean stared at their bodies.  The sun too bright in the sky, the wind too easy on his face.

The ground too red.  Their hearts too still.

Ymir's voice was harsh, right next to his ear, and when he looked over she was leaning towards him in her saddle.  Screaming, because Jean had not been listening, and his ears hurt from the sound.

"Kirstein!  We need to get some people close to the wall!  Start gearing up there from underneath!"  He opened his mouth to answer, only to have the words swallowed up by another gunshot breaking through the din.

Another scout collapsed, this one still caught up in his stirrups, horse galloping forward with him dangling from the side.  Gore dripping from him with every hoof beat, dotting the grass like paint.  An artist's errant strokes, flung from the brush of Jean's mistakes, and nothing would ever wash them away.

"JEAN!  We're dropping like flies!  We need to get up on that wall!  Those guns will be almost useless once we get in close!"

His gaze was drawn to the ramparts then as he considered her words, trying to make the right choice.  Would they be better off heading straight up the walls, or trying to take cover and pick off their enemies slowly?  Every second he hesitated was dangerous, begging the Trostians to take more lives.  A flash of metal caught his eyes then, pulling them from where they'd flitted back and forth over the stones of Wall Rose.  The barrel of a rifle glinted in the sun, the soldier who held it leaning out as far as they could, head cocked to the side as they aimed.

Gun pointed right at Jean, and he was frozen as a burst of sound filled his ears, unable to move.  Unable to breathe.  Unable to think.  He closed his eyes, bracing for impact, wondering where the bullet would hit.  His head?  His heart?  The seconds ticked by, and he wondered for a moment if he was already dead.  Could he die that quickly?  Without pain, without thought?  Was it so easy to stop living that he hadn't even noticed?

When Jean pried open his eyes, he was no longer looking up at the wall, but at red feathers surging through the air.  The barest hint of blood trickling down white robes, a tail twisting back and forth, and when Mikasa looked over her shoulder at Jean her eyes were full of fury.

"Keep your eyes open, you fuckwit.  We have enemies to slay.  I just took a bullet for you, get your shit together, human."

He watched Mikasa reach up and dig into the bloody wound in her chest, pulling out a tiny piece of metal and throwing it at Jean's face.  The bullet bounced off harmlessly, the very thing that would have taken his life lost in the grass, nothing more than a spatter of gore on his cheek.  Jean blinked stupidly at the ground for a moment, glancing back to see Mikasa taking flight, soaring up towards the top of the wall and landing like a cat.

Then there were screams, and blood, and she laid waste to their foes as easy as breathing.  A knife slicing through water, effortless and smooth, at home in the carnage in ways Jean could not explain.  A shadow in the night, the stars in the heavens, the wind in the trees.  A part of the devastation, and those white robes were splashed with red as Mikasa broke them into pieces.

It was vicious, and beautiful, and if not for the dead scouts at his feet Jean might have been in love.

..............

Levi wasn't sure he was still breathing.  Surely it would hurt, like everything else did.  Was there air in his lungs?  Blood in his veins?  The very idea of liquid coursing through his body made him ache, and Levi clawed blindly at his chest with one hand, wondering if his heart would hurt less if he ripped it out.  Pain.  He'd thought it was a feeling, but it was more than a physical sensation on his skin, or in his head.  Swelling into his bones, ripping open his spine.  It was an emotion, a state of being. Levi _was_ pain, and everything else was secondary as it swallowed up all he was, taking him over in a visceral way. A shiver of power rolled through the air, and Levi knew Eren had pulled out his wings, even before one of them was laid down over his quaking form.  Those soft feathers blanketed Levi in darkness, and he clung to them with one hand, desperate for something tangible in the ether of suffering he was drowning in.  

"E-Eren.  Fuuuuuck." The words hurt as he spoke them, blades in his throat, sawing their way out of his mouth.  Eren's fingers sifted through Levi's hair, and everywhere the yokai touched was blessedly warm.  Eren's hands absorbed his pain like magic, and Levi felt tears falling from his eyes.  _Touch me all over, take the ache away.  Please, it hurts._   Eren spoke then, and Levi shoved into his hand, keening into the dirt.

"Shhhh, I know, it hurts. It'll all be over soon, little mate."  Had he spoken aloud?  Levi didn't know, but it did not feel like it would be over soon.  Levi would be lost in the change forever.  Would never see the sun again, never see Eren's face.  He would spend eternity swimming through agony, eyes wrenched shut, crawling on the ground.

Levi had been talking to Kenny before, and his uncle was still doing so, but that faded into the foggy haze of Levi's memory, a million years ago, oceans away.  Or maybe an ocean was not far enough.  He'd never actually seen one.  The books Hange read said there were planets amongst the stars, orbiting them in strange circles, entire worlds no one had ever laid eyes on.  Foreign earths in solar systems they could not even see in the night sky, lakes of fire, mountains of ice.  Diamonds and acid raining down from the clouds.  Storms that never ceased, tearing the air apart for centuries at a time, whirlwinds that swirled on forever.

Kenny was a _universe_ away in that moment, the darkness of space spreading out between them, impossible to breach.  Galaxies apart, and Levi could not get to him.  Could not get to Erwin, either, even as he knew the man was in danger.  Some idle part of Levi's brain was processing what his uncle was saying, and the scout heard himself call out Erwin's name.  Felt himself trying to crawl over the ground to get to him, but he wasn't sure where Erwin was.  Wasn't sure where anything was.  The ground, the sky.

Which way was up?  Which way was down?  Levi tasted blood and dirt in his mouth, gritty copper between his teeth, and he tried to spit it out but the grime clung to his lips.  _Fucking filthy._   Levi's spine tried to break free of his skin, tearing at his flesh, and gore dripped down the scout's back in hot rivulets.  Into his eyes, too, temples seeping crimson fluid over Levi's face to blind him.  The softness of Eren's feathers vanished then, and Levi was bereft, floating in sea of emptiness, all alone.  He heard blades clashing together, steel against steel, and some distant corner of Levi's mind wondered when Eren had ever learned to use a sword.  Every few moments he felt Eren's wings dancing over him only to disappear again.  _Fighting._   Eren was fighting Kenny.  Fighting to protect him, because he could not protect himself, and Levi felt ashamed.  He was rolling uselessly in the dirt, seizing and crying, unable to even open his eyes.  Why did it hurt so much?  Why was he so weak?

 _Change is never painless, my child._   A woman's voice sliced through his thoughts, words whispered straight into Levi's mind, soft and beautiful.  _Mother,_ he thought, but not the one he'd known as a child.  Mother of the night skies, and the shadows of sunset.  Mother of the stars.  Mother of the wind.  Of the sound swords made when they rang metallic from their sheaths.  Of the life draining from the yokai he'd slain.  Mother of last breaths, and dying fires, and the moon that lit him up in darkness.  No one had to tell Levi these things.

He _knew._   The words continued, drifting over his mind like a song, lilting and beautiful and he wanted her to sing to him forever.

_Only those who were once weak can ever truly be strong.  To be reborn is to suffer.  To be powerful is to first be helpless.  Take this power I give you, and let nothing stand against you.   By my blood, you are Eren's, and he is yours.  Now go, Levi, and when your enemies have fallen come into my temple.  I would lay eyes on my newest son before you claim Eren beneath the stars of my heavens._

Energy ran through Levi in a wave, and all the pain he'd been feeling coalesced into white heat.  It crawled up to swell in his shoulders, and in his temples, surging up at the base of his spine.  Levi was purified by bright white agony, and light flashed out from him, burning away all his suffering and leaving nothing behind but _power_.  He did not remember standing, but Levi was on his feet, and all the earth belonged to him.  Levi could pull down mountains.  Part oceans, raze forests to the ground.  Break open the sky, blot out the sun.

Levi could destroy the whole world with his hands, then make it again, all with a rough touch and a soft breath.  He was _everything,_ and nothing, and the very air trembled to be breathed by him.

Wings curled out from his back, black as the night itself.  Horns jutted up from his head, a tail curling out in front of him.  His thoughts, previously a jumble of confusion and dizziness, now shrank down until only two things were present.  The first was more powerful, but less urgent.    _Mate._   His gaze found Eren, and he felt a smile breaking over his face as he took the yokai in with new eyes.  

_Mine._   

Eren was breathtaking.  Messy russet locks and eyes that shone even in shadow.  Fierce, and determined, and totally unashamed to chase after Levi, no matter how much he'd resisted.  The scout could not remember why he'd tried to fight the demon in the first place.

They were as inevitable as the sunrise.  As inescapable as the earth itself.  Undeniable.  Inexorable.  Fated since before there were stars in the sky, and Levi's teeth itched to sink themselves into the smooth flesh of Eren's throat.  To mark, as he'd been marked.  To take, as he'd been taken.  To bind them together with blood and magic until they could never be unraveled, and Levi would run with this yokai through dark forests until the earth fell to pieces beneath them.  But not yet.  The second thought in his mind was _revenge._   It was red, and furious, and would not be silenced with words.

Only blood.  

Levi let his gaze flit briefly towards Erwin, grateful to see Armin there protecting the Commander from those who would harm him.  The little yokai was flying through the air, blade rending through flesh and severing bone. Unerring and without hesitation, he carved his way through the Trostians as though they were standing still. Satisfied that Erwin was safe, at least for the moment, Levi turned towards towards Kenny. Along with all the rage he felt towards the man, there was a new animosity.  _Enemy._   It was instinctive, born a place within Levi more ancient than his bones and blood.  He looked into Kenny's eyes, and knew he was more than human.  A darker version of himself.  Yokai, and yet not, but Levi did not care.  It did not change what he needed to do, and Levi's hands were on the hilts of his blades as he started speaking.  His voice was low, and rough, and promised violence to those who opposed him.

"Oh, Kenny. You shouldn't have come back here. Did you learn nothing from my father?"  Kenny's eyes were wide, but not as surprised as Levi would have expected.  As though he'd been anticipating Levi's change, and he scowled at his nephew when he answered.

"I learned that sometimes you have to hurt the ones your supposed love in order to survive.  Good thing I never loved you."  

Kenny sank his teeth into his forearm, deep enough that Levi saw blood trickle out, and there was another burst of energy.  Dark, and empty somehow, and when Levi blinked his eyes open again Kenny had wings.  They were leathery, stretching featherless behind him like those of a bat, light shining through them to reveal bones and veins.  Grey horns twisted out from his temples, curling around on themselves until they pointed forward, sharp tips jutting out beneath his jaw.  A tail eased out from his back, scaled like a snake, and Kenny did not seem to be aware of it.  It hung loose behind him, pooling at his feet, tip twitching back and forth.  He was a sick version of Eren, distorted where the other yokai was beautiful, a dark imitation of Izanami's children.

A mockery of everything she'd worked to create, and though Levi had never seen her, he was furious on the goddess' behalf.  He directed his thoughts into Eren's mind, speaking directly to his mate where no one else could hear.

 _The Garrison Troops and MP's are probably imprisoned in the barracks nearby.  Go set them free. The MP's can help Armin while the Garrison Troops head to Wall Rose to support Jean and the rest of the scouts._   He pictured the place in his head, mapping out the path for Eren effortlessly.  The yokai hesitated, gaze lingering on Kenny, full of hostility.

 _I can't leave you here to fight him alone.  You can't use your wings yet, you've just transitioned!  It's too dangerous._   Eren looked back at Levi, and froze as he caught sight of the scout's face.

It was beautiful, and predatory, and nothing could defeat Levi in that moment.  He was immortal.  Bulletproof and invulnerable.  Teeth sharp, eyes on fire, burning with their Lady's power.  His voice was made of silk in Eren's thoughts,  soft but dark.

 _I can beat him on my own.  I can feel it.  Have faith in me.  The faster you free those men, the faster we can go to Izanami's temple.  I'm ready to put my mark on your throat, little mate._   Eren shuddered with want at the words, and Levi smiled wide, tongue snaking over his teeth.  Eren _whimpered,_ biting his lip as he did so, thoughts more steady than any words from his mouth would have been.

 _Be careful, Levi._   The yokai shifted in place, wings fluttering restlessly behind him, and he rearranged himself in his clothes.  _And hurry._   Eren did not want to leave him, Levi knew, but he shoved down his worry and turned away.

The scout laughed, and felt victorious as Eren obeyed him, feet quick over the stones as he ran to free the imprisoned soldiers.  Eren _believed_ in him.  Trusted his strength.  They were equal now, and something inside of Levi quaked with the rightness of it.  Levi drew both his swords, sneering towards Kenny as he fell into a crouch.  Kenny never loved him?  Levi was fairly sure Kenny had never loved anyone, or anything.  Not his family, not his son.  Not his village, not his people.  

Kenny had never loved anyone but himself.  His love was worthless.

"Your love never did anyone much good, Uncle Kenny."

Levi's father had loved him.  And now he was dead, his head left forgotten on the ground, his body rotting in a grave or burned to ashes.  But it was not yet time for grief, not right then.  Levi could mourn Leven later, when the dust had cleared. The fires put out, the blades back in their sheaths.

Kenny's blood nothing more than a smear in the earth, and Levi could not wait to spill it.


	34. Triumph

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First and foremost, I have new fanart! Yay! Cmeilinwong drew both [demon Levi](http://sciencefictioness.tumblr.com/image/138651559545) and [ demon Eren](http://sciencefictioness.tumblr.com/image/138628969745) for me. Look at those colors! 
> 
> Human-kiwi also drew me a [ demon Eren!](http://sciencefictioness.tumblr.com/image/140963500215)
> 
> Thank you so much guys! I love them!

It should not have taken long to get to the barracks where Levi believed the Mitrian soldiers were imprisoned, but there were so many Trostian blades in his way that Eren could not seem to break through.  His first instinct was to avoid them, fly over their swords and make his way to the makeshift prison, but what if they went after Levi and Armin instead?  The scout had his hands full with Kenny, and Armin was struggling to keep soldiers from finishing off Erwin.  They were lucky there were not archers on the inside wall, or rooftops, raining arrows down on them both.  Still, the yokai could not risk his mate being surrounded by enemies, so he found himself cutting down Trostians on foot one after another.  Part of him hurt with every man that fell to the ground, because they were not evil, not really.  Just being manipulated by someone who was, but Eren did not have a choice in the matter.  If he did not slay them, they would be a threat to Levi.

 

Eren would wipe out the whole world if it meant keeping his mate safe from harm.

 

Waves of warmth rolled over him at the thought of Levi, and it was a struggle to focus on the fight when lust threatened to swallow the yokai.  His heat would be overwhelming soon, and already Eren’s thighs wanted to tremble, cock unmercifully hard in his pants.  Insatiable, unquenchable, even as he severed heads and gutted his foes.

 

When he finally reached the barracks holding Levi’s allies prisoner and took out the guards standing watch, half a dozen dropping beneath his steel, Eren was a sight to behold.  Swords dripping with blood, crimson splashes on his tattered scouting uniform.  His wings glistened wetly behind him, damp with stray gore.  It had been a long time since Eren had faced so many thinking enemies, and the rush of battle was heady and drugging.  The door to the barracks had been replaced with something much more sturdy than the one on Levi’s cathedral to the south.  Some of the Mitrian soldiers peered out through the windows of the barracks, taking him in with wide eyes.  They’d seen Eren kill the guards no doubt, shocked not just at the sight of a yokai but one wearing clothes that were not totally ravaged, holding weapons with intent.  The demon was suddenly reminded of the first time he put on a scouting uniform, and Levi’s wry smirk.

 

_ ‘You look like a dog wearing clothes.’ _

 

Even in such a dire moment, Eren fought down a grin a the memory.  When he caught the men staring he paused and addressed them through the glass.

 

“Your allies are fighting to take back Mitras.  Levi sent me here to free you, so your Military Police can help him near the Inner Hall, and your Garrison Troops can head back to Wall Rose to join the battle there.  His scouts are mounting an offensive at the south, east, and west gates.  I will let you out of here, but if any of you lift your blades at me or my yokai brothers with red wings, I will gut you where you stand.  With my teeth.  Are we clear?”

 

There was a rush of shocked conversation, all of them stunned at the sound of a yokai speaking.  Eren wanted to groan at the chaos of distrust coming off them.  He did not have time to waste here with these people.  The crowd of men jostled around, and one of them pushed in front of the others.  The group parted for him effortlessly, and even without the pompous looking insignia on his jacket, it was obvious he was an officer of some sort.  

 

“I never thought I’d be talking to a demon, let alone making plans to ally with one, but considering the way you dropped those Trostians who put us in here, as long as you and your yokai buddy don’t try and fucking eat us I think we’ll get along just fine.  We’ve got people out there we need to get to.  Now let us the fuck out of here.”  

 

The soldiers could break out on their own, now that the guards were not standing in their way, but they seemed hesitant to do so.  It probably had something to do with the armed, winged demon in front of the door, covered in blood with eyes that were battle crazed and enraged.   Eren was about to break the lock and set them free when a thought occurred to him, and he hesitated, eying the officer warily.

 

“Captain Levi is going to look quite a bit different than you remember.  I trust you can see past that, and know he is still one of you in spite of his appearance.”  

 

If any of these men drew on Levi they would be dead before their next breath, even if was only done on instinct.  The soldiers inside looked legitimately offended, glaring at Eren with vicious expressions.

 

“We don’t need some fucking yokai telling us that Captain Levi is on our side.  I don’t give a shit what he looks like.”  

 

Eren was positive they did not really grasp what he was talking about.  They expected Levi to be scarred, or burned, wounded in some way.  Missing limbs, or maybe starting to turn yokai on them.  Infected, or maimed, or disabled.

 

Not with horns on his head and wings at his back.  Slitted eyes and a curling tail, irises lit up with unearthly fury.  Even so, there was nothing else he could do to prepare them, not without wasting precious time.  Already it was hard to stay on his feet, the force of the heat making Eren want to fall to the ground and writhe as he called Levi’s name.  To beg and plead, but his mate was too far away to hear him.

 

So with a serious nod he slammed his sword hilt into the lock and shattered it, backing away from the door as it swung open.  The soldiers streamed out in a rush, giving him a wide berth and strange looks, but Eren did not spare them another glance.  They were on their own when it came to finding weapons and defending themselves.  There were enough blades littered around the Trostians Eren had eliminated to arm many of them, and the rest would know where to look for swords of their own.  He would be more of a hinderance than a help if he lingered, and even if that wasn’t the case, he could not force himself to remain there.

 

Levi was calling to him.  Not deliberately, but his mate was a demon now, and the very air in Levi’s lungs sang out to Eren.  Made the brunet desperate and hungry.  Skin sore with the need for touch, hands empty without Levi underneath them.  He crouched and pushed off the earth, flinging himself up into the air, wings making dust fly all around him.  A few soldiers gasped in surprise, but then the sounds fell away as he climbed higher, leaving them all behind.  A few stray arrows sailed past him, well short of their mark, and he scowled absently the ground.  They were an annoyance more than a danger, but he felt anger rise in him all the same.  He beat his wings, faster and faster, Levi’s allies scattering like ants through the city below. 

 

Eren flew as fast as he could, yet still not quick enough, every part of his being screaming at him to hurry.  Blood throbbing in his veins, arousal swollen with need, and if he had not been clutching blades in his fists, his hands would have been running desperately over his own flesh.  Eren let the weapons slip from his grasp and did just that, clinging to his own chest, clutching at his throat.  Trying to hold himself together.  To ease some of the ache, but it was useless.

 

Only Levi could fix him, and Eren hoped he would find his mate’s uncle in pieces when he returned.  His wings moved faster of their own volition, wind threading between his feathers like silk.

 

Izanami’s temple would be more beautiful than it had ever been before, and Eren could not wait to lay eyes on it again.

 

……..

 

There was something wrong.  Levi should not be this strong so soon after his transition.  Should not be so sure of his movements, so comfortable in his skin.  Kenny’s own wings had ached for hours on end when they first emerged, but Levi did not seem to be bothered.  The scout moved fluidly, tucking the feathered appendages in tight against his body when he needed to move faster, letting them billow out to slow himself.  As though he’d been carrying those wings for months instead of moments, and Kenny felt himself growling more than heard it.  

 

Always better, always faster, always more.  First Leven and now Levi, evading Kenny’s every blow, ducking under his sword.  Feline.  Fast.  Lithe, and graceful, moving like water around Kenny when he should still be worthless in the aftermath of his transformation.  It was not  _ fair _ , and Kenny wanted to scream at the injustice of it.  He’d murdered all of Trost just to get here, betrayed their trust and let the demons of the forest in to feast on their flesh.  He’d led his undead army back to Mitras, and slipped into the city as they threw themselves at the walls he’d always called home.  They kept out the yokai without fail but let in an even worse demon unaware.  Kenny had given up his humanity, turning himself into a new kind of monster just to reclaim what had been his in the first place.

 

Kenny could fill oceans with the blood he had spilled.  He’d spit in death’s face.  Become more than a man could ever hope to be.  All that remained was to kill Levi and offer his bones to Ryujin, and then he could find his son and rule this land like a god.  Everyone helpless at his feet, begging for his favor.  As it always should have been, if only these people could recognize strength when they saw it instead of clinging to their own weakness.  One more body added to the pile, and Kenny’s work would be done.

 

But Levi would not be fucking  _ still _ , would not accept his fate.  It made Kenny furious, even if he felt the barest trace of respect for the scout.

 

He, too, would go down fighting.  Would make someone work for it every step of the way.  Their blades clashed again and again, the metal singing a song as old as steel itself, and if Levi would not fall obediently under Kenny’s sword, he could at least answer a question.  After landing a blow straight against Levi’s blade Kenny pulled back, sinking into a crouch, head cocked to the side.

 

“By the way, Levi, what have you done with my son?  I’ve had my new friends looking all over, but Marlo is nowhere inside of Sina.  Is he tucked away in one of your scouting outposts?  Locked in one of Hange’s cells?  If she’s tortured my boy, I can promise she’ll live to regret it.  If not for very long...”  Confusion seemed to cross briefly over Levi’s face, brows furrowing, but he shoved it aside just as quickly.

 

“You know damn well where he is.  Sitting pretty in Trost, waiting on Mitras to be back under your control.”  Levi surged forward again, almost landing his blow to Kenny’s throat, his uncle frozen as he processed Levi’s words.  Kenny got his blade up at the last moment, pressing hard against Levi’s, their faces inches apart with only steel between them.

 

“What are you talking about?  He’s here somewhere.  Has to be.”  Levi threw a vicious kick at Kenny’s knee, staggering him, and if he had not thrown himself backwards the scout’s sword would have been buried in his neck yet again.  Kenny almost lost his footing, using his wings to right himself.  He and Levi circled each other, both waiting for the right time to strike.  The Trostian soldiers who were not engaged in battle with Armin watched warily, not especially eager to jump into the fight between two winged yokai.  Levi seemed bored by Kenny’s words, but he still answered, voice exasperated.

 

“Marlo was headed for Trost the moment your escort returned without you.  They’d barely been gone a day, and he did not believe you’d really fallen to the yokai.  He probably got to Trost the day after you.  I guess you missed each other.  How tragic.  I’ll be sure to give him your head once I take it, as you so kindly gave me my own father’s.”

 

Kenny’s world shifted beneath his feet, and it was only instinct that kept him from eating Levi’s weapon as the scout attacked.

 

_ Marlo. _

 

Marlo had followed him to Trost.

 

Marlo had not believed he was dead, had ridden out after him.  It was a long journey to take alone, but the boy was good on his horse and with his steel.  He would have made it there unharmed.

 

Would have been inside their walls as Kenny opened the gates.

 

Would have followed Kenny to Mitras, gray skinned with sharp teeth, eternally hungry.  Had he fallen to some scout’s arrow outside the walls?  Or to one of their blades after they’d opened the gates?

 

Had Levi himself slain Marlo at the west gate, seeing nothing but beasts under his sword?

 

His son had been so fucking loyal, he’d run after Kenny and straight to his own death.  Kenny had taken Levi’s father from him and had his own child taken in turn.  By his own hands, his own deeds, and the vicious irony was not lost on him.  There was unearthly laughter echoing through his mind in that ethereal voice he’d heard only once.  Ryujin, basking in his suffering, and somehow Kenny was not surprised.

 

Something dark broke free in Kenny’s chest to swim through his veins, filling everything he was with shadows, and those wings that had never really wanted to cooperate were suddenly eager to please.  He rose from the ground, swords clutched so tight in his fists it was painful, Levi looking up at him with a startled expression.  It was not quite fear, not yet, but Kenny was nothing if not perseverant.  

 

He’d see terror paint those eyes black if it was the last thing he did.

 

………….

  
  


Levi had been toying with Kenny so far, playing like a cat with a mouse, unable to resist the urge.  The temptation to let Kenny think he was winning, only to watch dread fill his gaze.  There had been a hundred openings in his defense, Kenny’s steps faltering, his form shoddy.  He’d sat on that throne for far too long, and maybe against another opponent his bladework would be sufficient.

 

But this was Levi.  He had been strong enough to defeat Kenny before, but now?

 

There was fire in his bones and starlight in his blood.  The eyes of a demon, with night winds blowing through his lungs.  His fists were stone and his teeth were steel and he could not help but triumph.  His victory was like the sunset.  Tides rolling in, constellations shifting in the sky.

 

Inevitable.  Predictable.  All one needed to do was wait.  

 

Then he’d asked about Marlo, which only confused the scout, because Levi had been sure his cousin was back in Trost.  Ensconced safely away, far from the battles that raged around them, out of Kenny’s instincts more than his love.  A desire to protect his heir, someone who would always stand behind him.  To protect himself, in some twisted way, because Kenny didn’t really know how to be anything but selfish.

 

Not that it mattered.  Levi would see Kenny’s head from his body, and personally search out Marlo in the streets of Trost.  Throw Kenny’s face down at his feet and dare the boy to raise his blade.

 

He’d regret killing Marlo for a handful of minutes, if he was forced to do it.

 

Long enough to clean the blood from his hands.

 

Something shifted in Kenny’s gaze after that, eyes going dark and twisted, and then he lifted off into the air.  Out of range of Levi’s blade, and he circled above the scout’s head, the swooping sound of his leathery wings echoing in Levi’s ears.  He watched Kenny carefully, spreading his own wings out, giving them a tentative flap.  It was bizarre, feeling them arch out of his back, feeling their weight heavy on his spine.  The foreign muscles strained, new and sore and unused to being utilized, and Levi knew there was no way they would carry him aloft.  Not yet.  

 

Levi was a fledgling yokai, and it seemed he would have to earn his first flight as he’d earned his first steps, or his first kill.  With patience, and practice, and a body that protested under the effort.

 

Kenny swooped in low over his head, swinging his sword wildly at Levi, and he had to roll to the side in order to escape the blow.  His wings pulled instinctively inward, absorbing the impact of his dodge and helping to push Levi back to his feet.  They danced this way for a while, Kenny flying low to swipe at Levi’s face with his steel, teeth bared and eyes furious.  His passes came lower and lower, forcing Levi closer to the ground, his own blade blocking but not striking.  Feathers softening the rough earth, cocooning the scout inside from time to time as he bounded across the dirt.  Levi had so much power thrumming inside him, desperate to break free and watch Kenny’s life end under his hands, but he could not  _ reach _ him.

 

A dozen feet.  Less than his wingspan.  So close, yet so far away, and Levi tasted copper as he grit his teeth viciously.  He wanted to fling his sword at Kenny in a fit of rage.

 

Then Levi realized he did not need wings to fly.  Never had.  Never would.

 

When Kenny passed in front of the Hall, Levi fired his hooks right through one of those leathery wings.  Tucked his own wings in so close it was painful, feathers molding against his body, shrinking in on themselves.  Then he was soaring through the air, spinning as he got close to Kenny.  His swords bit through flesh and bone, and he severed Kenny’s ragged wing in two visceral strikes.  It fluttered grotesquely to the ground.    Levi landed on the outer wall of the hall behind them, dangling from his gear, the straps cutting in more deeply than usual.  He was heavier now, new bone and muscle and feathers weighing him down.  It was a bit awkward to perch there, wings restless behind him, but Levi was only still for the barest of  moments.  Long enough to bend his knees and push off, desperate to finish things.  Kenny struggled to stay airborne, flapping his bleeding stump instinctively, the other moving faster in order to compensate.  Already losing altitude, but the scout did not wait for him to descend.

 

Levi shot his hook through Kenny’s remaining wing, a savage smile on his face as he sailed over the ground, steel severing the appendage at its root.   Kenny snarled, weapons falling from his hands as he dropped out of the sky like a stone, wings twitching uselessly.  He hit the dirt with a brutal smack, trying and failing to get to his feet.  Watching him twist broken against the earth was immensely  satisfying, and Levi was too far gone to be bothered by that fact.  He released his hooks from the wood they’d sunk into and let himself fall to the ground.

 

Levi landed in a crouch, a sword in each hand, knuckles in the dirt.  Wings spread out behind him blacker than the night, blood still wet at the base of his horns.  Levi’s tail twisted over his thigh, curling around his leg, the furry tip twitching against his calf.  When he looked up at Kenny, his head cocked to the side, Levi felt predatory.  His teeth were too sharp as his lips pulled back from them in a snarl.  They itched to sink into something, but the idea of biting Kenny’s throat out was repugnant.

 

Levi would take Kenny’s head with his blade, then find his mate and put those teeth to use against Eren’s skin.

 

Levi stood and walked towards Kenny slowly, kicking one of his uncle’s fallen swords away when he passed it, unwilling to let the man make a grab for the blade.  He was through playing.  Kenny tried to back away, slither across the ground like the snake that he was, but Levi wasn’t having it.  The scout pressed a boot into the bleeding root of Kenny’s right wing, bones crunching under his heel, gore seeping out in a rush.  Any other time it would have been disgusting, but in that moment it made Levi giddy with euphoria.

 

_ Yes.  Bleed, and suffer, and hurt.  Just as my father did.  Just as you would have me suffer.   _

 

Eren, too, if Kenny could have managed it.  He would have killed Levi’s mate purely out of spite given the chance, and it was that thought that had Levi grinding his foot down harder against Kenny’s broken wing.  Sneering, and ruthless, all the world around him nonexistent.  There were surely soldiers fighting, the clang of steel telling him more than words ever could, but Levi couldn’t tear his eyes away to see.  Kenny’s voice reached his ears, barely there, all the life drained out.  His hands were raised in front of him, bloody and trembling, and Levi wanted to scoff at the sight.

 

“Please, Levi.  F-Forg-”

 

“Forgive you?”  The scout let his eyes flit over to where his father’s head lay in the dirt.  Filthy, and bedraggled, skin gray and slack in death.  He turned back to Kenny with coal in his lungs, lips pulled back from his teeth again in a growl.  “I will show you every ounce of mercy you showed my father.”

 

Levi’s blade moved too easily through Kenny’s throat, his head skittering across the ground to land in a puddle of crimson.   _ Over. _

 

It was over.  

 

He felt Eren land more than heard him, and then warm hands tugged him a few steps away from Kenny’s corpse.  Pulling Levi close, trying to draw his gaze, and finally the scout looked away from Kenny’s head and met the yokai’s stare.

 

Eren’s thumbs were on Levi’s cheeks, green eyes wide and bright, a sad smile on his face.

 

“You did it.  I knew you could, little mate.”  

 

Levi suddenly felt like he was underwater, the weightlessness of having won his fight making him strangely unbalanced.  He blinked slowly at Eren, looking around in a daze, taking in the waning battle.  Any Trostians that remained were being quickly subdued, and now that he had a moment to search, Erwin and Armin were nowhere to be seen.  

 

“Where’s-”

 

“Armin took Erwin inside the hall.  He’ll take care of him with his blood.  It won’t regrow his arm, but he’ll be fine.”  

 

The battle was dying down around them, and Levi knew he should have a million questions he needed answers for, but he could not manage to find them anywhere.  Not in his head, not in his mouth.  He dropped his swords and let himself collapse against Eren.  Levi did not need the support to stand, but he did need to feel his mate’s skin, breathe in his scent.

 

Now that Kenny had fallen heat was rising in Levi, shoving aside the remnants of his fury to leave something else in its wake.  That itching in his teeth was back, and he nuzzled against Eren’s throat, palms sliding around the yokai’s back.   _ Mine.  All of him, mine.  _  Levi buried his hands in the dark feathers of Eren’s wings, and the brunet shuddered at the feel of them, letting out a wanton moan.

 

Eren’s hands were all over him, and for a moment Levi thought he was checking for injuries, but it became quickly apparent that was not the case.  The yokai clutched at Levi’s chest, groped at his stomach, then wrapped his arms around Levi’s  waist.  Eren clung to the scout and rutted against him with a gasp.  When Levi pulled back to look at Eren’s face his cheeks were flushed.  Eyes blown wide, jaw shivering, and suddenly Levi could  _ smell  _ his lust.  Could feel his teeth throbbing in his mouth, hungry for Eren’s skin, his palms desperate to spread the yokai’s thighs open.  

 

Levi needed to hear all the sounds he could pull out of Eren.  Needed to listen to him beg, _ please Levi, _ and then give him everything he asked for.  Needed to break him apart, as he’d been broken, and show Eren that he, too, could put his mate back together.  Then Eren reached up to take Levi’s key in hand, palming it alongside his own and speaking in a frantic voice.

 

“We’ve done all we can do here.  We can come back later, we can check on everyone, but I can’t wait.  _  I need you.  _  Let’s go to Izanami, and finish sealing the bond between us.  Please.”  Levi smiled, and it was feral and ancient, and full of promises he did not know how to speak in words.  So he answered the only way he knew how, and it would have to be enough.

 

“Anything for you, little mate.”

 

Eren shivered in relief, pressing a soft kiss to Levi’s lips, and the scout wanted to swallow him down but the brunet eased away and began speaking.  Eren’s incantation sounded every bit the prayer that it was, musical and lilting, and the keys in his hand lit up gold.  Bright, brighter, until Levi’s eyes fell closed.

  
There was a rush of wind, and a flash of light, and then they were in heaven.


	35. Sated

When the haze of light faded and Levi blinked his eyes open, he expected to be in a shrine of some sort. Eren had often talked about Izanami’s temple, and though Levi might not know exactly what that entailed, he was fairly certain they were not there just yet.

Nothing could have prepared Levi for where they currently found themselves. Even with Eren’s hands sliding over his skin, the demon’s face nuzzling into Levi’s dark hair, the pull of the yokai’s heat humming in Levi’s chest, the scout could not focus on his mate.

It was night instead of the day they’d left behind in Mitras, though that wasn’t really surprising considering they were in the ‘nightlands’. The demons stood atop a hill, the grass under their feet glowing a faint, ethereal blue. Surrounding the rise was a dense forest, fog rolling over barren treetops, little pinpoints of light flashing purple in its depths. They looked like lightning bugs, strobing indigo between the dead branches of the trees below them. The woods stretched on for miles, but Levi could see past it on one side. It transformed into a rocky valley, the same eerie blue grass thrumming alive over the ground. There was a lake in the distance, water shimmering green under the starlight, as though lit from beneath somehow. Those rolling mists obscured his vision in the other directions, just creaking trees and strange fog and night sounds that were both foreign and familiar.

Birds that sang songs unlike any Levi had heard before. The howling of a wolf that was far too loud, and part of Levi questioned if it bore any resemblance to the animal he associated it with in his mind. Running water, a stream or a river, but Levi could not see it anywhere nearby. Bursts of weak red light drew his eyes lower, and Levi looked down to the ground at Eren’s feet only to catch his breath.

Eren’s wings were dripping blood. Not his own but those of the enemies he’d slain in battle, though how Levi knew that he wasn’t quite sure. Smell, or instinct. It wasn’t really important, and Levi couldn’t make himself think on it.

For each drop of blood from Eren’s wings that hit the ground, a flower burst forth. Long black stems and luminescent crimson petals, and Levi thought he’d seen something similar in one of Hange’s books. An orchid, maybe, though they didn’t put off soft red light as these did. The blooms sprung up all around Eren, spreading out wider as he flexed his wings, more drops falling from his feathers. Unearthly, and beautiful, and soon they were surrounded in glowing crimson.

Eren’s fingers stroked through Levi’s hair, and his wings closed in tight around them, pulling the scout’s own in as they did so. Soon there was a wall of black around the pair, blocking out the bizarre landscape, and Levi looked up to find Eren smiling in the glow of the petals beneath them.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? I came to despise this place after being here alone so long, but seeing it again with you… I don’t hate it anymore.” 

Levi used one of his wings to push Eren’s down a bit, peering over them into the forest. His feathers felt lighter in this strange place, stronger, and Levi thought he might actually be able to fly. He was still looking around when he reached up to cup Eren’s cheek, distracted by the glow of the grass and the flowers still being born at their feet and the feel of the wind in his wings. Levi sounded forlorn when he spoke, voice detached and overwhelmed.

“It is beautiful.”

Then Eren pulled Levi tighter against him, grinding forward into the scout with a moan, biting his lip as his eyes went half-lidded.

“You put it all to shame, Levi.”

Eren’s hands slipped into the raven black of Levi’s wings, and he kissed his way down the scout’s jaw, panting all the while. Breathless, skin too hot, fingers clutching and desperate and Levi knew exactly what Eren was feeling.

Had felt it himself in the middle of forests more familiar than those they inhabited now, laid out atop Izanami’s ruins, only Eren’s wings keeping him from the cold of the stone. He knew just how needful Eren was, how overcome with want. How much he craved Levi’s touch on his skin, and Levi’s teeth in his throat. He would give Eren everything he needed and more. Would soothe that ache. Would wreck the yokai in every way, one piece at a time.

But first they needed to see Izanami, and Levi had no idea where to go. He pulled back from Eren, who tried to follow, unwilling to release the tender flesh of Levi’s collarbones from his lips.

“The… the temple, where is it? I thought the keys would take us to Izanami’s shrine.” Eren shrugged, finally breaking away with a grin.

“More like her basement.”

Eren looked up, and Levi followed his gaze, only to go still at the sight. Floating in the air above them, sitting on nothing but sky, was a temple. Fog obscured the bottom of the structure, as well as the bases of the torii gates that hovered on all four sides. The shrine was made of some sort of white stone, and it bobbed up and down ever so slightly, riding an imperceptible breeze. Eren’s voice drew the scout out of his stupor, the yokai easing away from Levi a few steps and spreading his wings.

“Unmated yokai who were turned cannot fly in the nightlands. Their wings will not come out. There are not many of them left, but we are not always… happy with our Lady. If I could have flown up to her temple without permission, there are times over the last few centuries that I would have done so with violence in my heart. I was lonely, and angry, and I would have lashed out at her. So my key to the nightlands brings me here to her feet, and she can grant me entrance or not, as she chooses.”

“But you’re mated now.” The smile that earned Levi made his heart beat wild in his chest. It was wide and brilliant and breathtakingly beautiful.

“I am. And we can fly up to her temple, and hide away within her walls, and you can ease this fire in me. Let’s go, Levi. Please.” He took a shuddering breath, lip quivering, cheeks going pink under Levi’s watchful eyes. “I ache for you.”

Levi let out a rough exhale at Eren’s voice, glancing up at the floating temple and then back at his yokai. Levi spread his wings, feeling the air in his feathers, flexing them, moving them. They did not pull heavily on his back as they had on earth. It was as though they were weightless, eager to bring him into the sky alongside Eren.

The rest of Levi was certainly ready to be there, tugging his mate’s torn clothes off and finding out just how well sound carried inside those marble walls. 

“Can I… can I fly here?”

Eren crouched before jumping into the air, wings holding him aloft effortlessly. Much less movement than he’d used to fly on earth, hovering more than truly flying, and the gleam in his eyes was answer enough for Levi. The scout mimicked Eren’s motion, leaping as high as he could and letting instinct take over. There was a moment of suspension, everything frozen as he reached the top of his jump, and then…

Then Levi was flying.

His wings beat behind him, the last lingering soreness fading out of his bones, and Levi looked over at Eren to find him staring. Awestruck, eyes nearly closed, mouth open as he huffed out rough breaths. Eren slid effortlessly closer to him, timing the beating of his wings so they did not interfere with Levi’s own. Then Eren was on Levi, one hand slipping under the fabric of his uniform, legs clinging around his waist. With his other hand Eren brushed Levi’s hair from his eyes, gaze darting all over as if he could not decide where he wanted to look. Levi’s wings, his hair, his mouth, his horns.

“You’re perfect, love. Amazing.”

Eren moved forward as if to kiss his mate, body writhing against Levi’s, a desperate little sound escaping from the yokai’s lips. When they were about to make contact Levi brought up his hand, laying his fingers over Eren’s mouth, a devious smile on his face.

“Wait.”

Wait. Levi had been lost in the sway of a heat, frantic for Eren’s mouth, and the yokai had told him wait. As much as he loved Eren, he remembered the torture of being denied, the misery of the warmth in his skin. The lust that told Levi he would die without his yokai’s touch, without his lips, without his teeth. He loved Eren, but the brunet had been cruel, and Levi needed to torment him in kind. Just a little. Long enough for them to greet Izanami, and find some shadowy corner of her realm in which to lay each other bare. Levi held the demon’s mouth away from his own with one hand, a savage thrill rising up in him at the raw need on Eren’s face.

Eren whined like an animal and kissed Levi’s fingers instead, tongue twisting around them, lips making wet noises in between desperate muttered pleas.

“Please… Please Levi… kiss me… t-touch me, I… I n-need you to…” Levi smiled wider, fighting down a groan at the feeling of Eren’s tongue on his skin, suckling his fingers and laving at his palm.

“Need me to what?” Eren gripped Levi’s hips, thrusting hard against him, and the scout could smell Eren’s desire. The yokai groaned, fucking into him through their clothes, still mouthing wetly at Levi’s knuckles.

“Everything. J-just need you, please…” Eren started working at Levi’s belt, as though he would undress them both in the air beneath Izanami’s temple and have the scout take him there. His hands shook and Levi stilled them, smiling softly at the yokai.

“Then let’s go.” 

Levi shoved away from Eren and took off towards the temple, grinning as he heard the yokai’s wings flapping furiously in pursuit. It was a bit unfair of him to tease Eren, maybe, but Levi really didn’t want to undress his mate out in the open where any of Izanami’s demons could see.

Eren naked in the throes of his heat was for Levi’s eyes alone, and the scout needed to get the yokai tucked away somewhere, and fast. 

The shrine looked far away but Levi was there in an instant, flying through the entry before he could think better of it. A shiver of power rolled over him, and he shook his head, trying and failing to figure out what cause the sensation. He was a few dozen feet into the temple before things began to register, and fuck.

There were demons everywhere. 

They lazed on pallets scattered across the floor, built up high with pillows and blankets, or rocked lazily back and forth in wide hammocks suspended between pillars. Never alone, all of them in pairs or small groups, some of the demons decidedly busy. None of the yokai around them paid any mind to their activities, talking in low voices and laughing as though there weren’t demons mouthing fervently at each other nearby. Most of them looked like Mikasa and Armin, dark red wings and horns instead of black like Levi and Eren’s, though there were a few pairs of turned yokai lingering here and there. All eyes were on him, but the demons did not look particularly surprised to see Levi flying through their home. 

There was no ceiling, stars shining innumerable above him, the stone pillars supporting nothing more than large swaths of white fabric. Candles burned everywhere, in sconces along the walls and filling elaborate chandeliers that floated in the air, flames flickering in the wind created by Levi’s wings. Fountains dotted the temple floor intermittently, stone demons pouring unearthly green water from crystal jugs, the sound soft and soothing. More candles floated on the surface of the water, bobbing lazily through the currents. The temple was just as ethereal as the glowing world beneath them, and he was not honestly surprised by it. 

He was surprised when he saw Izanami draped over the throne he was flying towards, fingers beckoning Levi closer, an adoring smile on her face. Not surprised by her appearance, hair darker than the void of the night, dripping like water to pool at her feet. Skin whiter than the stones around them. Eyes with galaxies of starlight within their depths. Blood red lips and knife sharp teeth, and she was everything Levi could have imagined when someone said goddess. 

No, Levi was surprised by the word that flitted through his mind when he saw her, a prayer and a promise and a truth all in one.

Mother.

Levi would fight all the yokai on earth for her. Would spill the blood of her enemies with a smile. Would tear down the mountains with his bare hands. Raze forests, drain oceans.

Levi would destroy all of existence and remake it a thousand times with nothing more than a word from her lips and a touch of her hands. 

He dropped to the ground at the foot of the throne, falling to his knees before her. Levi leaned forward to lay his head on her knee, the silk of her robes soft beneath his cheek, and when those long fingers threaded through his hair Levi’s eyes slid closed. It felt like he’d been waiting all his life to be here, and his wings went slack behind him, utterly relaxed. It was only when he felt the feathers tickling his feet that Levi realized he was no longer wearing his scouting uniform. He was clean with no trace of blood or filth on him, loose white shrine robes spilling down around his knees, feathers brushing across his bare calves. That was what he’d felt when he’d first flown into the temple, that power rolling over him.

Taking everything sullied about Levi and rendering it clean and pure and bright, and the scout was grateful for it even if he couldn’t find the words to tell her so. Could only find one word, and it would have to be enough.

“Mother.” His voice came out hushed and reverent, and Levi shuddered hard with euphoria when she pressed a sweet kiss to his dark locks.

“My son. I’ve been waiting a long time to meet you, Levi.” There were footsteps nearby, and then Izanami laughed, and it sounded like wind chimes and ice and silver all at once. “I’m not the only one, though. Certainly not the most impatient.”

Levi blinked up at her slowly, drugged by her presence, only to find her smiling behind him. Eren was there, fists clenched, cheeks flushed with his chest heaving. Resisting the call of the heat to give Levi time to greet their Lady, even as he was awash with lust. The yokai was clean, too, dressed in the same ceremonial robes Levi wore. The white fabric contrasted beautifully with his tan skin, making something in Levi coil tight. Izanami stroked the scout’s face, drawing Levi’s eyes up to her own, and he watched the stars twist through her stare with awe filling his lungs. 

“Levi, you can spend all the time you like with me later, I promise. Right now, I think Eren needs you more, yes?” Levi nodded, because it did not matter what she said.

Only the truth could fall from that perfect mouth, and Levi would do whatever she asked without question. Right then she was sending him away to be with Eren, though, and as much as he might yearn to bask in her smile, Izanami was right.

Levi could feel the heat coming off Eren in waves, literally and metaphorically, and it was rousing something dark and ancient in him. He needed four walls around them, needed something soft underneath them, needed Eren out of that pretty white robe.

Needed to ease his hands between those strong thighs and watch them part at his touch.

Izanami kissed his forehead, and Levi leaned into her hands, trying to resist the hunger blooming inside him. His instincts were telling him to turn around and take Eren right then, no matter who might be watching.

A goddess and her servants, smirking and amused, and Levi almost didn’t care if they saw.

Almost.

“Come here, Eren. I’ll send you off.”

Eren knelt behind Levi, arms reaching under his wings to wrap tight around the scout’s waist, and there was another flash of light like the one that had brought them to the nightlands in the first place.

When Levi opened his eyes they were no longer at the foot of Izanami’s throne, but on a lush bed of pillows and furs in a room with no doors. A pitcher of water sat in the corner on a low table, and candles burned along the walls, but other than that the room was empty. Nothing but starlight above them and soft blankets beneath.

And Levi’s mate sliding around him, wings nowhere to be seen, crawling into Levi’s lap in one sinuous movement. He wondered why the yokai had pulled his wings in, but then Eren straddled him and rutted into Levi’s hips with a moan and all his thoughts fled in an instant. Eren wrapped his arms around Levi’s neck, bringing their mouths together with a perfect, needy sound. His tongue spilled between Levi’s lips, and the scout slid his palms beneath Eren’s robes, rucking the fabric up around his thighs. Every inch of overheated flesh was a revelation, supple under hands, sweat slick and unblemished. He dug his fingertips into Eren’s tanned skin, and when the yokai groaned into their kiss Levi couldn’t take it. 

He tugged those loose robes up over Eren’s head in rough motions, tossing it aside and then working off his own. They tangled up around his wings, and rather than finesse them off Eren ripped the fabric to let it fall behind Levi, frayed and useless. Not that Levi cared.

He didn’t plan on needing any clothes for quite some time.

Once they were skin on skin Levi heard himself growling, and before he knew what he was doing the scout had Eren pressed back into the blankets. His tail twitched forward of its own volition to wrap itself around Eren’s flushed cock as Levi kneed the yokai’s thighs wide. Ungently. Aggressively. He fell between them, collapsing against Eren and earning a breathy sigh from the demon. Levi had not gotten used to his tail, didn’t even know how to consciously move it, but it seemed there were some things that needed no practice.

Levi tightened his grip on Eren’s shaft, mouthing toothy kisses up the yokai’s throat, delighting in the little gasps it earned him.

“L-Levi…” 

He could only growl again in response, unable to force words past his lips. Levi’s hands found Eren’s biceps, easing the demon’s arms over his head and holding his wrists there. Eren let himself be restrained, loose and pliant and so fucking willing, and Levi took a moment to drink in the sight as he worked the yokai’s arousal with his tail.

Eren helpless beneath him, wrists pinned above his head, thighs thrown impossibly wide. The tip of his cock was pink where it peeked over the coils of Levi’s tail, and he could feel warm fluid dripping from Eren’s crown. Those slitted green eyes were glittering, full of desperation, and he twisted under Levi’s stare and tried to fuck harder into the scout’s touch to no avail. There was something slick and shining between Eren’s thighs, and Levi could smell the lust coming off him to surround them like a fog.

Eren shook and panted, lips trembling as he struggled to form words, moisture leaking from one corner of his mouth when he finally found air in his lungs to speak.

“Levi, please…”

Levi’s lip curled back from his teeth in a possessive snarl, and he let go of Eren’s wrists to bury a hand in those wild brown locks. He tugged Eren’s head to the side to expose the smooth column of the yokai’s throat, a bestial noise coming from mouth. Eren’s cock twitched in the vicious grip of Levi’s tail, and the scout licked a hot stripe over Eren’s pulse, hissing into the skin.

“Mine.”

He sank his teeth into Eren’s neck, and then the yokai was coming hard, hands all over Levi. The taste of blood filled Levi’s mouth, the scent of Eren’s seed drifting up to his nose. Eren quaked and shuddered against him, clutching Levi’s face against his throat, mewling out profanities laced with scout’s name. Levi, fuck, yes, yours…

With the copper of Eren’s blood on Levi’s tongue something shivered into place inside him, and he suddenly felt everything fall still. The whole world ceased to exist, earth and the heavens and the goddess who’d given him wings.

There was only Eren, and his heat and his taste and the way he shook at Levi’s touch. The sounds he made and the way he smelled and the flawless, beautiful shade of his eyes. And his hands were warm and his back was broad and his teeth were white and sharp and vicious. His blood was wine and his mouth was honey and Levi needed nothing else in life. Even if he lived for hundreds of years. For thousands.

There was Eren, and Levi, and the air that carried their voices. The sky above them and the ground underneath, all of it existing only for the two of them.

So they could come together. Break each other open. Make each other whole.

Again, and again, until the stars exploded in the heavens, and even then it would not be long enough.

Levi released Eren’s throat and kissed him hard, the yokai’s blood wet between their lips, mumbling ragged little words, yes, please, every time they eased apart. Eren was still hard within the hold of Levi’s tail, and he let it drop away. His bite was seeping blood down Eren’s throat, dark fluid trickling over Eren’s chest, and Levi smiled a demon’s smile.

“You look so fucking beautiful with my mark in your skin, little mate.” A surge of precome pulsed out of Eren’s cock at Levi’s words, a keening noise lurking just in his mouth, and the yokai begged for his mate as though he’d been born just for that.

“Levi, Levi, please, I need you, please…”

Eren did not even finish his plea before Levi parted his thighs wide, pressing two fingers into his slick, swollen entrance. He palmed Eren’s ass with his free hand as he scissored his digits within the yokai’s flesh, sucking blue black marks into Eren’s chest. Eren’s tail was twitching frantically, his head thrashing back and forth on the pillows, and Levi twisted and thrust ruthlessly into the demon.

“ ‘M fine, it’s fine, the heat… M-makes me ready, just-”

“Shhhhh, love, be patient.” 

Eren let out a noise that sounded like a sob, and Levi edged a third finger into him as he kissed his way up the yokai’s body. When he finally reached Eren’s mouth there were tears leaking from his eyes, his jaw shuddering, and Levi couldn’t bear to watch him suffer.

He held Eren’s thighs apart as he slid into him, the yokai’s flesh sucking him in hungrily, and when he bottomed out inside of Eren it was Levi keening.

“Fuck, Eren.” Eren hugged him tight, hands tugging at Levi’s hair, clutching at his shoulder blades. He kissed Levi’s black locks, and when he pulled at the scout’s face Levi looked up at his mate.

“L-love you, Levi.”

The stars were brilliant in the sky, the heavens a masterpiece above them, and even floating over the nightlands in the temple of a goddess, Levi could not bear to look away.

“Love you, too. I love you so much.”

Eren nodded, and Levi took his mouth as he began to move. Savagely, because it was what Eren needed then. He fucked him brutally into the furs, Eren’s legs thrown over Levi’s shoulders, body bent in half because the scout refused to release Eren’s mouth. Eren made noises that would be etched into Levi’s memory forever, crying Levi’s name, gasping for air so he could beg against Levi's lips.

His mate was loud, and wanton, and Levi thrust into him without mercy. It was not long before they both came, biting out profanities and holding onto each other, nothing but heat and shivers and sweat.

Levi did not pull out, did not slow, did not stop. Just kept fucking into his mate with barely leashed violence, both of them overstimulated and quaking and so damn broken. All the yokai in Izanami’s temple could probably hear them, and Levi did not even care.

They could not have what he had. Could not take what belonged to Levi. Could not look, could not touch, could not taste.

Levi took Eren for hours, all the creatures in the heavens listening to the yokai gasp and whine and shout and plead. There was no sunrise to wait for, no rays to shine down on them, but that was fine.

There were stars, and his mate, and all the time in the world.

Levi had been born for this moment alone, and all the moments to follow, and he would not let them go to waste.


	36. Epilogue I: The Demon King Of Mitras

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [//emperor's new clothes plays muffled in the distance//](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qFF2v8VsaA)
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> Warning: Character Death. It's not traumatic, but it's there. I think you guys knew it was coming.

The crown sat strangely on Levi’s head.  It settled around the outside of his horns, just barely, and he was grateful he wouldn’t have to wear it very often.

 

Not that he intended on being the leader of Mitras for long.

 

It took a month for the dust of war to settle enough for a coronation, but even then he still hadn’t gotten a handle on his wings.  They wouldn’t recede, no matter how hard he tried, and Levi eventually gave up.  He found it hard to be upset about it when Eren slept at night with his face in them, fingers sifting idly through the feathers, breath warm and easy and familiar.

 

So they nudged the crown down over his horns, Levi’s wings splayed wide over the dais as he knelt to receive his father’s legacy.  

 

His father who they’d burned with the rest of the dead, or what was left of him anyway.  Levi didn’t cry.

 

He wanted to, but there was something knotted up in his chest that wasn’t quite ready to come loose, and he was afraid that when it happened he would fall to pieces.

 

Nothing had gone smoothly.  There had been two thwarted coups and three separate assassination attempts in the beginning, one by a handful of Trostian soldiers who had been hiding in abandoned houses since the fighting ended, and two by Mitrians who weren’t pleased at having a yokai on their throne.  Levi couldn’t blame them.  He’d been fighting creatures who looked like he did now almost his entire life.

 

He couldn’t imagine swearing fealty to one, but there wasn’t any better way to pull Mitras back together.

 

One of the would be assassins managed to sink an arrow in Levi’s chest.

 

He’d blinked at the shaft for a moment before pulling it out and asking if they wanted it back, blood gushing from the wound, face a mask of disinterest.

 

Eren was much less ambivalent towards the ordeal.  He tore out the archer’s throat before anyone could so much as blink, licking crimson from his fingers with eyes that spoke in silence to everyone else in the room.

 

_ I fucking dare you,  _ they said, and he waited, but no one dared.  Not right then.  Not ever.

 

He was always there with Levi, in the throne room, at meetings, attending the customary social functions held by any new chieftain.  Eren was like a particularly aggressive guard dog, only breaking his silence to growl and bare teeth at anyone he perceived as a threat to Levi.  He had little interest in what they were discussing.  Mitras only mattered to him insofar as it mattered to Levi.  Eren would rather be running through the woods, or lazing in Izanami’s temple and luxuriating in his new mate, but Levi wanted to tie up the loose ends of his father’s rule before handing it over to someone else.  

 

So they stayed in Mitras until everything had calmed down.  The Trostian envoy Kenny had manipulated into action had been executed, apparently.  The scouts Levi sent to Trost came back shaking their heads, eyes wide with things that could not be unseen.   Trost belonged to the yokai now, and it was no longer a mystery where such a large horde had come from to assail their walls.  Their largest neighboring settlement had been gutted, leaving only stray demons wandering the streets that had once been full of life.

 

Erwin recovered from the loss of his arm eventually, and Levi got to watch both he and Jean suffer endless harassment from yokai no one else could see.  Mikasa and Armin made themselves visible from time to time, but the only people who weren’t uneasy around them were those soldiers they’d fought beside in the fray.  It was easier to be invisible, and let everyone focus on the much more glaring demon in their midst.

 

The one wearing a crown and sitting on a throne.  The one that no one could quite manage to call chieftain.  It felt like an understatement, and didn’t sit right on anyone’s tongue.

 

But even if the king of Mitras was eager to surrender his crown, his people didn’t feel quite the same way.

 

After their initial reluctance, it was hard to argue against the advantages of having Levi as their leader.  He was practically invulnerable, and he and Eren went outside the walls almost daily and eradicated any yokai lingering there.  The alliances he forged with their neighbors might have been initially based on fear, because who was going to stand against a winged yokai with a pair of swords whose people worshipped the ground he walked on?  Yet Levi was fair, and demanded nothing of anyone that previous chieftains had not, and soon his nature was almost secondary to his leadership.

 

He was a king, who was also a demon, but he was one of them.

 

Levi organized an election, trying to find someone to replace him on the throne, only to be elected himself.  Mitras didn’t need him anymore, but clung to the familiar, terrified to have another tyrant in charge.

 

Time passed faster than Levi could have imagined, the crown heavy on his head as he watched everyone begin to grow old around him.  It would have been easier if he did not have to watch cadets he trained age until they looked like they could be his uncle, his father, his mother.  Eren grew restless but never complained, running off his energy by killing the yokai.  The scouts were rendered almost useless, but couldn’t find it in themselves to protest, not when they hadn’t lost a soldier in years.

 

Eventually there were scouts that hadn’t even born when the horde had come to the walls.  Scouts so young that the invasion of Mitras wasn’t a memory but a war story, told by veterans around campfires, whiskey on their breath and darkness in their eyes.

 

There was gray in Jean’s hair, and something sharp bloomed in Levi’s guts, and he realized he still hadn’t wept for his father.

 

Then Erwin was gone.  Lost to a flu in midwinter, there one moment and still the next, defeated by fever where steel and teeth and yokai claws had always failed.  Armin had fed him blood, and laid him out in the snow to try and cool him, and finally begged at Izanami’s feet.

 

_ I have asked you for so little.  Please, my Lady, don’t take him from me. _

 

Izanami smiled a sad smile, and whispered _ , I’m sorry. _

 

_ I will take him now, but I will give him back, one day. _

 

Armin knew better than to ask what that meant.  Izanami was not a goddess who gave answers.  

 

They burned his body.  When even the ashes had blown away Levi finally cried. Eren’s wings curled around him, and Armin shook apart, and didn’t go back to the Nightlands for a long, long time.  He haunted the woods during the day like a ghost, and crawled into bed with Mikasa at night.  One look in his eyes, and Jean didn’t mind sharing.

 

Because he’d be leaving Mikasa behind one day, too, and he didn’t want her to spend eternity alone.

 

It was winter, and summer, and winter again, and Jean told Levi to go.

 

They were both standing on top of the walls, staring out into the forest, and Levi was wondering whether it was safe for Jean to get down with his cables or not.  He could barely use the gear anymore, bones in his hands tight with age.  Sometimes it hurt to look at him, but then he did, and Jean was looking back with a muted smile.

 

_ It feels like you’re waiting on me to die, Levi.  I don’t want you to.  It’s fine.  You’ve done enough. _

 

Levi wasn’t sure anything would ever feel like enough, but Eren was waiting for him when he headed home.

 

Would always be waiting for him.

 

So they left.  They ran through forests Levi had never seen, flew through unfamiliar skies, swam in unknown rivers.  They went to the Nightlands, and Izanami was there, eyes soft and sorrowful.  

 

_ They’re gone, love. _

 

_ Who’s gone? _

 

_ Jean.  Mikasa.  Armin. _

 

_ Mikasa and Armin, too?  Gone where? _

 

Because demons didn’t just  _ go  _ anywhere, didn’t just die, but Izanami smiled.

 

_ I sent them on ahead.  You’ll see them again, in time.  In another life, for them, but you’ll have to wait. _

 

So they waited.  And it was lonely, sometimes, the two of them against the yokai.  Against the world.  Against themselves.

 

But every night they lay down, wrapped up  in the warmth of their wings.  Every morning they woke up, and the sunlight found them both, Levi’s face in Eren’s hair, Eren’s hands on Levi’s skin.

 

Every spring, every summer, every autumn, every winter.  When it rained, and when it snowed, and when it hailed, and when it stormed.  Under every sky, and in every forest.

 

Everywhere, and always, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next (Final) Chapter: Epilogue II: To You, 2000 Years From Now


End file.
